Cross-segmental representation in corporate consociations – evidence from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Corporate consociational systems have been criticized for cementing specific expressions of ethnic politics by allocating representation to some degree by ethnic category. Such provisions of the Dayton Agreement are blamed for the continued importance of ethnic parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, the representation and coalition governance has not been fixed. Rather the parties represented in legislatures and governments has varied significantly over time and by region. This paper examines this variation from the perspective of cross-segmental representation with an eye toward the ways that voters seek representation across segments through split-ticket voting and parties govern across segmental divides through coalitions. The paper presents a typology of cross-segmental representation across these two aspects with evidence from representation and governance across government levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina.