The political scene in Northern Ireland is constantly evolving. This book reflects the most recent changes and synthesizes some of the best thinking on the subject. It provides an overview of the politics of Northern Ireland, including detailed coverage of the institutional structure under the Good Friday Agreement and an evaluation of how the institutions operated in practice. Opening with the historical context and discussion of the nature of the conflict, the standpoints of unionism, nationalism, loyalism and republicanism are explored. The evolution of political initiatives since the 1970's