Workshop at PRIO, 21-22 August 2006
One of the most commonly prescribed methods of achieving stable governance in divided societies is power-sharing. Advocates champion it as a means of reconciling the goals of self-determination of a group and democracy in a multi-ethnic society. Power-sharing thus serves as a means of distributing power across groups through broad-based coalitions. Skeptics respond that since conflict resolution may require entrenching the interests of certain segments of society, power-sharing institutions may themselves undermine the stability of the political system. In some cases, such instability may even lead to violent outcomes. This fundamental dilemma is the focus of this workshop.
How can institutions provide immediate conflict resolution, while continuing to maintain flexible and competitive institutions? In particular, we seek analyses highlighting the role of delegation (such as principal-agent relationships) in the success or failure of governance and conflict management.
Program and downloadable papers
| Monday, 21 August | |
|---|---|
| 9:00–9:15 | Welcome and Introduction |
| Origins of Power-sharing | |
| 9:15–9:45 | Timothy D. Sisk; Pathway of the Political: Electoral Processes after Civil War (not available online) |
| 9:45–10:15 | Stephen M. Saideman; Challenges of Democracy and the Origins of Power-Sharing: Competition, Exclusion and the Impact of Institutions |
| 10:15–11:00 | Kaare Strøm – Discussant and Discussion Leader |
| 11:00–11:15 | Coffee Break |
| 11:15–11:45 | Anna Jarstad; The logic of power sharing after civil war image(PDFIcon) |
| 11:45–12:15 | Donald Rothchild; Africa’s Power-Sharing Institutions as a Response to Insecurity: Assurance without Deterrence |
| 12:15–13:00 | Scott Gates – Discussant and Discussion Leader |
| 13:00–14:00 | Lunch |
| Performance of Power-sharing Arrangements | |
| 14:00–14:30 | Philip G. Roeder; Power-Dividing as an Alternative to Ethnic Power-Sharing image(PDFIcon) |
| 14:30–15:00 | Kristine Höglund; Electoral Violence in War-Ravaged Societies: The Case of Sri Lanka image(PDFIcon) |
| 15:00–15:15 | Break |
| 15:15-15:45 | Han Dorussen; UN Peacekeeping and Local Governments |
| 15:45–16:45 | Indra de Soysa – Discussant and Discussion Leader |
| Tuesday, 22 August | |
|---|---|
| Performance of Power-sharing Arrangements | |
| 9:00–9:30 | Scott Gates & Kaare Strøm; Agency Loss and Transactions Costs |
| 9:30–10:15 | Steven J. Brams & D. Marc Kilgour; The Instability of Power Sharing image(PDFIcon) |
| 10:15–10:30 | Break |
| 10:30–11:00 | S. Mansoob Murshed; On the Nature of Third Party Interaction with Recipients in Post-Conflict Mediation and Reform |
| 11:00–11:45 | Magnus Öberg - Discussant and Discussion Leader |
| 11:45–12:00 | Break |
| 12:00–12:30 | Marie-Joëlle Zahar & Stephen Brown; Non-Traditional Power-Sharing and the Commitment Problem: Lessons from Angola and Mozambique |
| 12:30–13:00 | Camilla Gjerde; Extreme Politicians: Who are they? image(PDFIcon) |
| 13:00–13:30 | Desiree Nilsson - Discussant and Discussion Leader |
| 13:30–14:15 | Lunch |
| Consequences of Power Sharing | |
| 14:15–14:45 | Wolfgang C. Müller; Intra-party Conditions for Power Sharing: Comparing Power Sharing Post-War and Conflict Inter-War Austria image(PDFIcon) |
| 14:45–15:15 | Helga Malmin Binningsbø; Power-Sharing and Post-Conflict Peace Periods image(PDFIcon) |
| 15:15–15:30 | Break |
| 15:30–16:00 | Kristin M. Bakke; Power-Sharing and Peace: The Effects of Decentralization, Diversity, and Disparity. Available upon request from kmbakke@u.washington.edu |
| 16:15–17:00 | Ola Listhaug - Discussant and Discussion Leader |
| Wrap-up | |
| 17:00–17:30 | Scott Gates & Kaare Strøm |
