Bulletin n. 0/2004
December 2004
CONTENTS
  • Section A) The theory and practise of the federal states and multi-level systems of government
  • Section B) Global governance and international organizations
  • Section C) Regional integration processes
  • Section D) Federalism as a political idea
    • Lawrence M. Anderson
    Exploring the paradox of autonomy: federalism and secession in North America
    in Regional and Federal Studies , Volume 14, Number 1 / Spring ,  2004 ,  89-112
    Many social scientists have recommended autonomy as a cure-all for territorially-based intrastate conflict. Lately, however, social scientists have begun to explore the possibility that autonomy may actually contribute to, rather than ameliorate, intrastate conflict by creating new opportunities for conflict and providing state-like institutions through which regional groups in conflict are able to pursue secession. This article fills a gap in the recent literature by specifying the dynamic interaction between autonomy and secessionism. Federalism - a common form of autonomy - provides groups in conflict with state-like institutions that provide crucial short-cuts on the path to secession, not the least of which is that these state-like institutions will hold over into independence. This article explores the dynamic of federalism and secession through an analysis of the secession movements that have developed in the United States and Canada. The article demonstrates that autonomy may actually contribute to, rather than resolve, secessionism and secessionist conflict.
    ©2001 - 2020 - Centro Studi sul Federalismo - P. IVA 94067130016