Shows how deliberative democracy has crucial, untapped opportunities for societies divided along ethnic linesIn a world where the impact of internal conflicts is spreading ever wider, there is a real need to rethink how democratic ideals and institutions can best be implemented.Stephen Elstub shows how deliberative norms and procedures can enable the citizens of conflict-stricken societies to build and sustain a stronger sense of common national identity. More specifically, he argues that the deliberative requirements of reciprocity and publicity can enable citizens and representatives to strike an appropriate balance between the need to recognise competing ethnic identities and the need to develop a common civic identity centred on the institutions of the state. Key Features Draws on a broad range of empirical examples, from cases such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon, Macedonia, Northern Ireland and South Africa Considers the normative implications of deliberative democracy for questions of institutional design