Book Discussion: Governing Divided Societies: Habsburg Austria’s Democratic Legacy and the Czechoslovak First Republic, by Philip J. Howe, Thomas A. Lorman, and Daniel E. Miller

Session Submission Type: Book Discussion Roundtable

Brief Description

Governing Divided Societies applies the model of consociational democracy to Imperial Austria within the Habsburg Monarchy (1867-1918), the Czechoslovak First Republic (1918-1938), and Slovakia within interwar Czechoslovakia. The authors first introduce the consociational model that explains how deeply divided societies can maintain stability and build democratic institutions through grand coalitions, proportionality, segmental autonomy, and minority vetoes. The authors then account for the development of certain consociational mechanisms in the Austrian portion of the Habsburg Monarchy before 1918. Afterward, they explain how consociationalism best accounts for the unusual aspects and what some have termed the undemocratic features of the Czechoslovak system, which the authors maintain was a fully consociational state. Finally, they examine Slovak politics between the world wars from the standpoint of consociationalism. This roundtable will enable participants to discuss the book with the authors along with specialists whose research involves East-Central Europe and the consociational model.

Sub Unit

• History: 1900-1945

Chair

• Susan M. Mikula Christie, Benedictine U

Roundtable Speakers

• Philip J. Howe, Adrian College

• Thomas Anselm Lorman, U College London (UK)

• Daniel E. Miller, U of West Florida

• Jan Rovny, Sciences Po (France)

• Zachary Austin Doleshal, Sam Houston State U