A formal partnership or alliance between groups, especially in politics where different communities agree to share power equally.
From Latin 'consociare' (to associate together), derived from 'com-' (together) and 'sociare' (to unite), which comes from 'socius' (companion). The term was formalized in political science in the 1960s-70s.
The term exploded in popularity when political scientists studied how divided societies like Belgium, Lebanon, and Northern Ireland could govern themselves—instead of majority rule, all major groups get a permanent seat at the table, which is revolutionary but also requires everyone to stay in the room.
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