Verzuiling and Consociational Democracy

The publications of A. Lijphart have made Dutch society the prototype of a general model of „consociationalism”. Lijphart later applied his theory to other countries, but for his views on verzuiling (pillarization) and consociational democracy in the Netherlands, one should consult notably:

  • A. Lijphart, From the Politics of Accommodation to Adversarial Politics in the Netherlands: a Reassessment, in: H. Daalder and G.A. Irwin, Politics in the Netherlands: How Much Change?, London: Cass, 1989, pp. 139-154 (also published in West European Politics, Vol.12:4 (1989))
  • A. Lijphart, Time Politics of Accommodation: Reflections – Fifteen Years Later, in: M.P.C.M. van Schendelen, Consociationalism, Pillarization and Conflict-Management in the Low Countries, a special issue of Acta Politica, Vol.29 (1984), pp. 9-18
  • A. Lijphart, The Politics of Accommodation: Pluralism and Democracy in the Netherlands, sec. ed., Berkeley: University of California Press, 1975. 

Lijphart’s theory has provoked lively debate. The following selection is restricted to commentaries on consociationalism in the Netherlands:

  • P. Mair, The Correlates of Consensus Democracy and the Puzzle of Dutch Politics, West European Politics, Vol.17:4 (1994), pp. 97-123
  • H.J.G.A. van Mierlo, Depillarization and the Decline of Consociationalism in the Netherlands: 1970-85, West European Politics, Vol.9:1 (1986), pp. 97-119
  • H. Daalder, On the Origins of the Consociational Democracy Model, idem, pp. 97-116
  • M.P.C.M. van Schendelen, The Views of Arend Lijphart and Collected Criticisms, in: M.P.C.M. van Schendelen, Consociationalism, Pillarization and Conflict-Management in the Low Countries, a special issue of Acta Politica, Vol.29 (1984), pp. 19-55
  • H. Bakvis, Towards a Political Economy of Consociationalism: a Commentary on Marxist Views of Pillarization in the Netherlands, Comparative Politics, Vol.16 (1984), pp. 315-334
  • R. Kieve, Pillars of Sand: a Marxist Critique of Consociational Democracy in the Netherlands, Comparative Politics, Vol.6 (1981), pp. 313-337
  • I. Scholten, Does Consociationalism Exist? A Critique of the Dutch Experience, in: R. Rose (ed.), Electoral Participation, London: Sage, 1980, pp. 329-355. 

More in particular on verzuiling, or pillarization, see:

  • H. Kriesi, Federalism and Pillarization: The Netherlands and Switzerland Compared, Acta Politica, Vol. 25, No. 4 (1990), pp. 433-450 (reprinted in Acta Politica, Vol.31 (1996), pp. 539-556)
  • P. Dekker and P. Ester, Ideological Identification and (De)Pillarisation, The Netherlands Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 26 (1990), pp. 168-185
  • J.E. Ellemers, Pillarization as a Process of Modernization, Acta Politica, Vol.19 (1984), pp. 129-144 (reprinted in Acta Politica, Vol. 31, No. 4 (1996), pp. 524-538).
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