Sub-State Nationalism in the Western World: Explaining Continued Appeal.

What explains the appeal of sub-state nationalism in developed liberal democracies such as Belgium, Spain, the United Kingdom and Canada? The demise of sub-state nationalism in Western societies has been forecasted more than once: at the end of the 19th century in the context of the industrial revolution; in the 1950s and 1960s when modernization approaches to the state, politics and development were most influential; and, more recently, in the 1990s when many saw the processes of globalization were assumed to correspond strictly to cultural assimilation and political integration. In all these instances, there was an assumption that progress and modernity would represent the triumph of (nation-state) universalism over the 'deep diversity' represented by nationalist movements. Why, then, has sub-state nationalism survived in states that pose no physical threats to minorities but on the contrary offer a liberal-democratic environment and, in some cases, credible promise of prosperity? This is the question tackled in this paper. The paper first argues that understanding the appeal of sub-state nationalism requires its appreciation as a multidimensional phenomenon composed of three processes: the construction and expression of an identity; the definition of collective interests; and territorial mobilization. With this conceptualization in mind, the paper suggests that there exists six main reasons why sub-state nationalism continues to garner substantial support in several liberal democracies: the power of the notion of self-determination; the crystallization of national identity and nationalist politics in decentralized arrangements featuring autonomous political institutions; the presence of powerful nationalist narratives; institutional and constitutional questions that are either unresolved or have been addressed by a shaky compromise, which means they remain on the political agenda; the involvement of nationalist movements in debates of public policy; and processes of continental integration that help nationalist movements make the case for increased autonomy, and in certain circumstances independence. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]