Abstract
A challenge for constitutional processes is to facilitate popular participation, including among marginalised groups. Uneven inclusion is highly likely ‘upstream’, in the early stages when ground rules and foundational principles guiding constitutional change are fleshed out, and particularly so in deeply divided societies. This article explores the obstacles to such inclusion in constitutional discussion in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit, asking what ‘other’ voices (including women’s groups, ethnic minorities and youth) experience as barriers to participation and how they suggest these barriers can be overcome. We categorise barriers as situational, emotional, and discursive, and show that discursive obstacles are experienced as the principal barrier to participation. We argue that an inclusive process requires not simply new institutional frameworks and agendas for deliberation, but also an overhaul of channels between policymakers and grassroots, enabling policymakers to communicate policy constraints and facilitating grassroots’ critique into policy.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 170-186 |
Number of pages | 17 |
Journal | British Journal of Politics and International Relations |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 10 Mar 2023 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2024 |
Bibliographical note
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Research for this article was funded by two grants from the Reconciliation Fund of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, one to each author respectively for work in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland, and by one grant from the University of Notre Dame, Clingan Institute, through the ARINS project (Analysing and Researching Ireland, North and South, www.ria.ie/arins).Keywords
- constitutional processes
- divided societies
- inclusion
- Norhtern Ireland
- Popular participation
- Republic of Ireland