The two faces of power-sharing

Lijphart’s claim that power-sharing spurs democratization in divided societies has strongly influenced ‘institutional engineering’ and is widely accepted among scholars despite the fact empirical tests of its merits remain rare. This article revisits democratic effect power-sharing, arguing it two antagonist faces. On positive side, provides guarantees inclusion to political elites, allowing them commit rules. negative also an illiberal face, entailing limits on competition individual rights. In this article, these contrary characteristics are traced back institutional types power-sharing: a more flexible open, liberal, type rigid, corporate one. Using novel dataset rules for 138 multi-ethnic countries period from 1945 2016, their respective tested. Conforming theoretical expectations, findings indicate only liberal forms exhibit strong effects democracy while exert mixed or even ones. These robust series alternate model specifications operationalizations as well instrumental variable approaches. conclusion, indicates partial limited subtype.