Democracy, power and political culture in the Pacific

Abstract

24 page(s)

This article illustrates some of the tensions between traditionalist conceptions of politics in the Pacific and the institutionalization of democracy, especially in relation to certain ideas about the place of 'consensus' in Pacific political contexts. It argues that although most Pacific leaders pay lip-service to the need for democracy and good governance, the mantra of consensus politics as the authentic expression of Pacific Way politics nonetheless continues to undermine their basic principles.