Education for democracy in pluralistic societies: The case of Israel

Political scientists estimated that out of 130 independent U.N. member states in 1990, 59 states (45.4 percent) were democratic. However, in 1973, out of 122 states only 30 were democratic (24.6 percent). Indeed in the 1980s and 1990s there was a growing tendency toward democratization not only in Europe, particularly in the former Eastern Bloc, but also in South America, Africa, and Asia. Most of the democratic states are divided primarily into ethnic or national groups, and a secondary division might include religion, language, socioeconomic status, and political power (Huntington 1981). Democracies might be classified as Liberal or Consocional (Lijphart 1977). Israel represents a unique blend of both types of democracies (Lijphart 1994).