Nepal, federalism and participatory constitution-making
Deliberative Democracy and Divided Societies
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6233398 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael G Breen (0000-0003-1876-6453, The University of Melbourne, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 410-430 |
| Publication date | 2018-09-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Asian Journal of Political Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0218-5377 • E-ISSN: 1750-7812 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02185377.2018.1515639 |
| OpenAlex | W2889227595 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 17 |
| References cited | 20 |
In 2008, Nepal reintroduced democracy and elected a Constituent Assembly whose first act was to declare a secular federal democratic republic. The Assembly was tasked with engaging the public in a participatory and deliberative process as it drafted, debated and decided a new federal constitution. This article asks how evaluates how deliberative the process was in practice, and whether the deliberative components influenced decision-making. It demonstrates that, although the political parties assumed the primary role of negotiating the constitution, deliberation occurred at the local level and through the Assembly's structures and systems. After more than seven years of once polarized debate about whether ethnicity or territory should be the basis of the new federal provinces, the political elite reached a decision that was consistent with the deliberated outcomes that permeated upwards. The experience of Nepal's constitution-making process demonstrates that deliberative practices, in combination with consociational features, can be effective in a divided society and regarding fundamental constitutional issues, ultimately moderating extreme positions, influencing key decisions and building popular support for their adoption. The Nepali experience also provides lessons for Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and other countries, which are embarking on similar processes towards federal constitutional change
Citizen journalism · Constitution · Deliberation · Deliberative democracy · Democracy · Elite · Federalism · Nepali · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Asian Studies and History · Bangladesh Politics, Society, and Development · Law · Public Administration · Sociopolitical Dynamics in Nepal
Federalism Practice in Nepal Prospects and Upshots
Nepal’s political parties in drafting a new constitution
The Process of Decentralizing Public Administration
The impact of decentralisation on health systems in fragile and post-conflict countries
From design to practice in deliberative constitutionalism
Inclusive vis-à-vis Exclusionary Constitution
Statebuilding Beyond Western Interventions
Formal Adoption – Informal Subversion’
Federalism and local governance
The Epistemic Case for Federalism
Cross-Ethnic Voting
Looking for an agreed-upon definition of teachers’ intercultural competence in a divided society
Securing the peace or renegotiating the political settlement? Understanding popular support for post-conflict constitutions
Democracy and ethnic autonomy
Political geographies of urban demarcation
Before the dust settled
The stabilising impacts of corruption in Nepal's post-conflict transition
Democratic Deliberation in Deeply Divided Societies
A History of Nepal
Deliberation and Constitution Making
Deliberative Democracy
Inclusion and Democracy
Deliberative Democracy and its Discontents
Governing Taiwan and Tibet
The human rights and 'Asian values' debate in Southeast Asia
Ethnic groups in conflict
The Question of Federalism in Nepal
The Origins of Holding-Together Federalism
Deliberating across Deep Divides
Authoritarian Deliberation
Deliberative consociationalism in deeply divided societies
Deliberative Democracy in Divided Societies
Is There a Distinct Style of Asian Democracy
| Unique citing works | 17 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2,83 |
| Citation span | 2020 - 2026 (7) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 17 |