Theories of Secession

Theories of secession Secessionist movements have risen to prominence in global politics in recent years. Within Europe the Basque separatists continue their claims for independence and the conflict in Northern Ireland continues. The collapse of the Soviet Union has led to flerce struggles for independence and in other areas, the Kurds, Tibetans and Québécois all lay claim to their own nations. Regardless of the differences between the examples, all raise the same question: what arguments justify their pleas for secession? Theories of Secession presents a systematic analysis of this question. Bringing together some of the most respected scholars in their field, this study locates the right to secede in the context of contemporary political theory. The chapters deal with problems of nationalism and federalism, special rights to secede, conditions of ethnic and cultural pluralism and ask if constitutions should include a right to secede. The contributors also consider historical and contemporary examples of secession, raising fundamental questions about the interaction between the politics of identity, of nationalism, of democracy and key issues in secession. As secessionist movements proliferate, the justification for such movements has increasingly become the subject of intense debate. The political theoretical approaches explored in this book allow this contentious subject to be analysed in a systematic way. It will be essential reading for those studying international relations, nationalism and political theory. Percy B.Lehning is Professor of Political Theory and Public Policy at Erasmus University, Rotterdam. European Political Science Series Edited by Hans Keman Vrije University, Amsterdam, On behalf of the European Consortium for Political Research The European Political Science Series is published in association with the European Consortium for Political Research—the leading organisation concerned with the growth and development of political science in Europe. The series will present high-quality edited volumes on topics at the leading edge of current interest in political science and related fields, with contributions from European scholars and others who have presented work at ECPR workshops or research groups. Sex Equality Policy in Western Europe Edited by Frances Gardiner Democracy and Green Political Thought Sustainability, rights and citizenship Edited by Brian Doherty and Marius de Geus Citizenship, Democracy and Justice in New Europe Edited by Percy B.Lehning and Albert Weale The New Politics of Unemployment Radical policy initiatives in Western Europe Edited by Hugh Compston Comparing Party System Change Edited by Paul Penning and Jan-Erik Lane Political Context of Collective Action Edited by Ricca Edmondson Private Groups and Public Life Social participation, voluntary associations and political involvement in representative democracies Edited by Jan Van Deth Theories of secession Edited by Percy B.Lehning London and New York First published 1998 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 © 1998 Percy B.Lehning, selection and editorial matter; individual chapters, the contributors The right of Percy B.Lehning to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data Theories of secession/[edited by] Percy B.Lehning. p. cm. 1. Nationalism-History-20th century. 2. Secession-History-20th century 3. World politics-1985–1995. I.Lehing, Percy B. (Percy Blanchemains) JC311. T495 1998 97–24742 320.54–dc21 CIP ISBN 0-203-98128-6 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-415-17192-X (Print Edition) Contents List of contributors vii Series Editor’s preface viii Editor’s preface xi 1 Theories of secession: an introduction 1 Percy B.Lehning 2 The priority of function over structure: a new 13 approach to secession Michael Freeman 3 A democratic theory of political self-determination for 33 a new world order Harry Beran 4 Territorial justice 61 Hillel Steiner 5 Secession and isolation 71 Keith Dowding 6 Altered states: secession and the problems of liberal 91 theory Linda Bishai 7 Is federalism a viable alternative to secession? 109 Will Kymlicka 8 National self-determination and national secession: 149 individualist and communitarian approaches Simon Caney 9 The Lincoln propositions and the spirit of secession 179 Philip Abbott vi 10 Communities real and imagined: good and bad cases 205 for national secession Paul Gilbert 11 The international institutional dimension of secession 225 Allen Buchanan Index 255 Contributors Philip Abbott, Department of Political Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA Harry Beran, Department of Philosophy, University of Wollongong, Australia Linda Bishai, Department of International Relations, The London School of Economics and Political Science, UK Allen Buchanan, Department of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin- Madison, USA Simon Caney, Department of Politics, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Keith Dowding, Department of Government, The London School of Economics and Political Science, UK Michael Freeman, Department of Government, University of Essex, UK Paul Gilbert, Department of Philosophy, University of Hull, UK Will Kymlicka, Department of Philosophy, University of Ottawa, Canada Percy B.Lehning, Department of Public Administration, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Hillel Steiner, Department of Government, University of Manchester, UK Series Editor’s preface In relation to the concept of the ‘people’, the concept of the ‘nation-state’ is quite a puzzling one in political science. On the one hand, the relationship is considered one of the core subjects that needs no further justification. On the other hand, the relationship between nation, state and the the people is amongst the most intensely contested concepts, in particular by political theorists. This volume suggests that it should also be the subject for debate among a much wider readership. The volume demonstrates that political theorists can addresss topics that are relevant for all of us today, for it focuses on one of the most hotly debated issues of our time: why and on what grounds is secession from an existing nation-state justifiable? Equally important, on what grounds is the existing power and authority justified to force secessionist movement to remain within the realm? In this volume, two terms emerge which form as it were a ‘Siamese twin’: ethnos, that is what unites fundamentally a large number of individuals according to their socio-cultural and socio-economic attributes, and demos, that is the political unification of individuals and with that the ‘bearers’ of authority over a geographically defined area. In accordance with the metaphor of the ‘Siamese twin’, the question is then: how can demos and ethnos live together? The tension between national unity and statehood by means of delegation is not merely a theoretical one, but very much in existence. In modern history, especially since Napoleonic times, there have been numerous instances of national struggles for independence, as well as of the integration of sovereign states. European examples include Belgian independence (1830–1839), the Italian and German unification of the 1870s, as well as the Balkan wars leading up to the Great War of 1914–1918. Each of these examples can be seen as an instance of creating both statehood and nation-formation. In particular, the Great War was a watermark for a new concept of nation-state with respect to the dialectical relationship between ethnos and demos. This was not only because empires like Turkey and Austria disintegrated and new nation-states ix emerged (Poland, Czechoslovakia, etc.), but also because the American president Woodrow Wilson at that time included in his peace proposals the right of ‘self-determination’ of minorities within multi-ethnic states as a universal principal. In combination with the electoral franchise or democratization of the nation- state, this has meant a new challenge to the unity of many political systems. One can observe the same development after the Second World War during the era of decolonization. This process exacerbated, in particular outside Europe, the dialectics of ethnos and demos, as can be observed from the numerous cases of civil war, coup d’état and, in effect, secessions (for example Bangladesh and Biaffra in the 1970s). More recently, a new wave of secessionist movements has emerged due to the disintegration of the communist world. Hence, it may be concluded that the concept of nation-state is not only historically contested, but also that the grounds for establishing a nation-state and its viability as such is an important topic for the political scientist. Indeed,

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