I think that there is one side of the question missing: what ties people together in the process of decision? were they elected, are they being payed or are they giving their life to a cause? in all these different scenarios the decision process will be different regarding the importance and the role of consensus. I think that the contextual elements that impact on the very meaning of the concept "consensus" in each of these cases are not taken into account. There are specific practical needs that impose themselves over the general features.