The politics of consensus: for the resolution of conflict and reform of majority rule

Author developed his ideas on governance from his experience in Northern Ireland & the Balkans. When they stop to think about it, it becomes clear to all moderately intelligent human beings that consensus politics is the way forward - the only way forward. Unfortunately most people don't stop to think about such matters. They accept our present form of pseudo-democracy like they accept the weather; it often does nasty things - is inconvenient, even hazardous - but there's nothing anyone can do about it. Peter Emerson's brilliant new book, if sufficiently widely read, could considerably speed up the conversion process. It proves that pseudo-democracy is not only obsolete but perilous to the highest degree. And it clearly explains how consensus politics operates. The notion is not just more fall-out from the latest explosion of utopian ideals. It's a practical way of running humanity's affairs and has been used, in some societies, for centuries. It really is workable, if enough people want to make it work. Foreword by Dervla Murphy vi John Hewitt - Tommy Sands viii Prologue to Second Edition x Definitions xiv Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 The Spirit of Consensus 5 Chapter 3 The Vote 12 Chapter 4 The Count 20 Chapter 5 The Analysis 21 Chapter 6 The Debate 31 Chapter 7 Elections 41 Chapter 8 The Election Campaign 50 Chapter 9 Probabilities of Power 53 Chapter 10 The Preferendum - A History 57 Chapter 11 Consensus and the Survival of our Species 64 Chapter 12 Epilogue 67 Appendix 1 A Preferendum 76 Appendix 2 The Preferendum Count 78 Appendix 3 A Preferendum Analysis 82 Appendix 4 Partial and Valid Votes 87 Appendix 5 Maxima and Minima 92 Appendix 6 A Matrix Vote 94 Appendix 7 The Matrix Count 95 Appendix 8 Freedom of Choice versus Abuse of Power 101 Appendix 9 Voting/Electoral Systems - a Critique 109 Bibliography and Notes 127 Index 136 By P.j. Emerson. Previous Ed.: Published As Consensus Voting Systems. 1991. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 127) And Index.