This research cluster focuses on diversity in political parties, legal institutions, how different kinds of voting arrangements and institutional structures impact diverse and marginalized communities, and ways to integrate (and marginalize) such groups.
With stellar researchers focused on the legal system, power-sharing theory, and how political parties incorporate diverse groups, this research cluster offers unparalleled expertise in thinking through the relationship between governance institutions in diverse societies.
Current Projects
Explaining Consociational Success and Failure
Principal Investigator: John McGarry
Start Date: March 2018
Funding Source: Social Science and Humanities Research Council Insight Grant (5 years)
Cross-listed with the Nationalism, Ethnic Conflict, Minority Mobilization, and Conflict Resolution Cluster
Minority Wellbeing Index (MWI)
Principal Investigator: Zsuzsa Csergő
Start Date: Summer 2021
Funding source: EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program
This is a cross-regional comparative index that focuses on minorities’ socio-economic conditions and access to political and institutional decision-making. Website anticipated launch, Fall 2022.
Past Projects
The Ethnicity and Democratic Governance Project was an international Canadian-based five year SSHRC major collaborative research initiative studying one of the most complex and challenging issues of the world today: governing ethnic diversity.
Led by Bruce Berman of Queen's University, the team of thirty-nine international researchers and additional associated organizations examined how can societies respond to the opportunities and challenges raised by ethnic, linguistic, religious, and cultural differences, and do so in ways that promote democracy, social justice, peace and stability?
In its research on Canada the Centre has focused on assessing the performance of Canadian democracy. It commissions and conducts empirical inquiries aimed at identifying issues for public discussion. The Canadian research, therefore, has an important function in supporting the Centre’s public education activities. Recent projects on Canadian democracy have been funded by the Aurea Foundation.
This series of Working Papers was presented at a workshop titled Closing the Implementation Gap which focused on current issues in democracy. Read the papers here:
The final report by Thomas Axworthy and Julie Burch can be read here: Closing the Implementation Gap: Improving capacity, accountability, performance and human resource quality in the Canadian and Ontario Public Service