The Northern Ireland Assembly is elected by the people of Northern Ireland and then appoints 12 ministers to the Executive, which is the real power. The First Minister (leader) of the Assembly is David Trimble of the Ulster Unionist Party and his deputy is Seamus Mallon, of the SDLP.

The Nationalists (the 40% or so of Northern Ireland people who want to unite the two parts of Ireland as an independant republic) are represented by two parties, with roughly equal support. The Social Democratic and Labout Party, or SDLP, is a moderate Nationalist party that aims to seek a united Ireland through democratic means. The SDLP is led by John Hume, although his deputy Seamus Mallon is also prominent. Sinn Fein is a much more radical party, which has the same aims as the SDLP but which has links to the IRA and generally believes in more revolutionary means of achieving a united Ireland. Sinn Fein is led by Gerry Adams, although his deputy Martin McGuinness is also prominent. Both parties support the Good Friday Agreement, although a minority of Sinn Fein members believe it is the wrong way to achieve their aims.

The Unionists (the 60% or so of Northern Ireland people who want to stay part of the United Kingdom) are represented by a whole series of parties. The main one is the Ulster Unionist Party, or UUP, which is the only Unionist party of significant size to support the Good Friday Agreement. The UUP is led by David Trimble. The party is in difficulties, because a significant minority of members are against the Agreement, and it is as much as the party can do to stop itself falling apart. The next largest party is the Democratic Unionist Party, or DUP. The DUP is more extreme than the UUP, is against the Agreement and tends to put a religious tinge ('keep Ulster Protestant') on the issues. The DUP is led by Ian Paisley and is in quite a powerful position at the moment. There are then three small anti-Agreement parties, all with roughly the same aims: the United Kingdom Unionist Party (led by Robert McCartney), the Northern Ireland Unionist Party and the United Unionist Assembly Party. There are two small pro-Agreement parties, which are linked to loyalist terrorists, called the Progressive Unionist Party, or PUP (led by David Ervine) and the Ulster Democratic Party, or UDP (led by Gary McMichael).

There are also some non-aligned (ie not Nationalist or Unionist) partys in Northen Ireland. The Alliance Party aims to be a 'bread and butter' party. Its leader is Sean Neeson. The Northern Ireland Women's Coalition is another party, led by Monica McWilliams.

Republican Terrorists have the aim of achieving a united Ireland by force. They are divided into two broad groups. The Provisional Irish Republican Army, or IRA, supports the Good Friday Agreement and is on ceasefire. A tiny terrorist organisation, called the Irish National Liberation Army, or INLA, is also in this group. The second group, usually referred to as the 'dissident' Republicans are made up of former IRA or INLA members who became disillusioned with the Good Friday Agreement and have returned to violence. They are divided into two organisations: the 'real' IRA, which was responsible for the Omagh bomb in 1998, and the Continuity IRA, or CIRA. Although both these groups are small, their support is increasing and they are attempting to destabilise the peace process through bombings.

Loyalist Terrorists have the aim of preventing the Republican terrorists getting a united Ireland. They are divided into three factions. The Ulster Volunteer Force, or UVF, and the Ulster Defence Association, or UDA, have broadly similar aims. They both support the Good Friday Agreement and are on ceasefire. The Loyalist Volunteer Force, or LVF, is made up of disaffected UVF members who broke away a few years ago. They are not on ceasefire and are fond of sectarian killings of Catholics. The UVF and LVF often have violent differences of opinion.

The marching season covers the period of the summer in Northern Ireland when members of the loyal institutions hold parades. The loyal institutions are Protestant groups that have existed for many decades, and for whom parading is an annual custom. The Orange Order is the largest, followed by the Apprentice Boys' of Derry and the Royal Black Preceptory. Some of these marches pass through Catholic areas and, since 1995, this has caused confrontation. Three residents' groups opposing these marches have risen to fame since 1995. The Garvaghy Road Residents' Association of Portadown, the Bogside Residents Group of Derry city and the Lower Ormeau Concerned Comunity, in east Belfast. The Ancient Order of Hibernia is a Catholic order that also marches annually, and this also causes controversy when some of the marches pass through Protestant areas. In order to stop these confrontations resulting in violence, the government has set up the independent Parades Commission to oversee the parades.

Other groups of note include:

• The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) – the police in Northern Ireland, accused of brutality and bias by both Nationalists and Loyalists.
• The Patton Commission – the body that was created to recommend reforms for the RUC under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
• Independent Commission on Decommissioning – the body that was created to oversee the decommssioning of terrorist weapons under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Led by US General John de Chastelain.
• The Saville Inquiry – the body set up to inquire into the events of Bloody Sunday in 1972 when 13 civlilians were shot dead by the British Army. It was set up under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement and will run from March 2000 to the year 2002.