Power to the People? Assessing Democracy in Northern Ireland

Written by Rick Wilford, Robin Wilson and Kathleen Claussen, this companion volume to Power to the People? Assessing Democracy in Ireland takes a close look at the governance arrangements north of the border, assessing them according to international democratic norms rahter than unionist or nationalist perspectives, and finds them seriously wanting. The most obvious difficulty is that direct rule of Northern Ireland from Westminster has entailed a 'democratic deficit' by comparison with devolved government elected by citizens of Northern Ireland themselves.

The picture painted of Northern Ireland is sobering, but not entirely black. A notable strength of democracy in the region is the vibrancy of its voluntary sector while there have been important innovations in policy, particularly in the arena of public health.

Table of contents:

Citizenship, Law and Rights

• One: Nationhood and Citizenship: Is there public agreement on a common citizenship without discrimination?
• Two: The Rule of Law and Access to Justice: Are state and society consistently subject to the rule of law?
• Three: Civil and Political Rights: Are civil and political rights equally guaranteed for all?
• Four: Economic and Social Rights: Are economic and social rights equally guaranteed for all?

Representative and Accountable Government

• Five: Free and Fair Elections: Do elections give the people control over their governments and their policies?
• Six: Democratic Role of Political Parties: Does the party system assist the working of democracy?
• Seven: Government Effectiveness and Accountability: Is government effective and accountable to the people and their representatives?
• Eight: Civilian Control of the Military and Police: Are the military and police forces under civilian control?
• Nine: Integrity in Public Life: Are public officials, elected or appointed, free from corruption?

Civil Society and Popular Participation

• Ten: The Media in a Democratic Society: Do the media operate in a way that sustains democratic values?
• Eleven: Political Participation: Is there full citizen participation in public life?
• Twelve: Government Responsiveness: Is government responsive to the concerns of its citizens?
• Thirteen: Democratic Local Politics: Does local politics contribute to the vitality of the country's democracy?

Democracy Beyond the State

• Fourteen: International Dimensions of Democracy: Are the country's external relations conducted in accordance with democratic norms, and is it itself free from external subordination?

Conclusions