The Politics of Accommodation

The Politics of Accommodation: Pluralism and Democracy in the Netherlands offers a groundbreaking analysis of Dutch democracy during the pivotal period of 1917 to 1967, highlighting the country's unique approach to managing deep-seated societal divisions. Originally published in 1967 and revised with a second edition, this seminal work by Arend Lijphart explores the concept of pillarization—a system in which religious and ideological blocs coexisted within a framework of mutual accommodation and elite cooperation, ensuring stability in a pluralistic society.

In the revised edition, Lijphart reflects on the transformative political shifts of the mid-1960s, when traditional social cleavages began to weaken, and deference to elite authority waned. The book's new chapter, “The Breakdown of the Politics of Accommodation,” delves into the unraveling of this model, tracing how evolving public attitudes and the erosion of bloc loyalties marked the decline of accommodation politics. Despite its historical focus, the book's theoretical insights remain profoundly relevant, offering a blueprint for managing pluralism in divided societies aspiring to democracy. It stands as both a retrospective of Dutch political evolution and a forward-looking framework for understanding and addressing the challenges of democratic governance in diverse societies.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1968.