The mechanisms used for determining a constitutional consensus usually vary from those used for decision making within agreed structures. The Talks would benefit from a closer examination of the meaning of political consensus. There is a sense that a consensus dilutes the rights of majorities. This arises from the political interpretation of simple majoritarianism as synonymous with the principle of consent . This reductive treatment of the idea of the principle of consent has been taken on board by most political parties and commentators alike and is greatly distorting the development of the negotiating phase.
Consensus measures a deeper level of consent than majoritarianism.
It is a decision everyone can live with. You cannot have a consensus that does not enjoy majority approval, but you can certainly have a majority decision which does not enjoy a consensus. In the Northern Ireland context there are four broad ranges within which all realistic options for the future fall. It is also a reality that in order for any model to achieve consensus support it would have to have true proportionality built into it. Joint Authority models, by definition, would deliver such proportionality of themselves.