Is democracy feasible only in homogeneous societies, or can heterogeneity support a stable democracy? Historically, ethnic, linguistic, or religious homogeneity—achieved through circumstance, coercion, or choice—has often been linked to democratic success. For instance, France established democracy following the imposition of religious uniformity, while the United States attracted immigrants who abandoned their original identities to create a new national identity. However, democracies have also flourished in heterogeneous states, such as the Swiss Confederation and various successor states of the Holy Roman Empire, as well as those formed from former colonial empires. A common thread among these examples is the failure of violent attempts to enforce homogeneity or the absence of such attempts altogether. Over time, these diverse societies have learned to coexist, managing their differences and finding pathways to peace or at least accommodation. They transitioned from merely separating powers to sharing them. Communities, whether defined by ethnicity, language, religion, or ideology, reached agreements to participate in joint governance through proportional or equal representation. Interestingly, political systems based on power-sharing have been largely overlooked in mainstream political science, which has focused on democratic transitions in homogeneous societies and the socio-economic or cultural factors that facilitate de
