Legitimacy Clash Challenges to Democracy in Multinational States
Produktdetaljer
Biographical note
Alain-G. Gagnon is Canada Research Chair in Quebec and Canadian Studies and professor in the Department of Political Science at the Université du Québec à Montréal.In the coming decade, we may see the advent of multinational federalism on an international scale. As great powers and international organizations become increasingly uncomfortable with the creation of new states, multinational federalism is now an important avenue to explore, and in recent decades, the experiences of Canada and Quebec have had a key influence on the approaches taken to manage national and community diversity around the world.
Drawing on comparative scholarship and several key case studies (including Scotland and the United Kingdom, Catalonia and Spain, and the Quebec-Canada dynamic, along with relations between Indigenous peoples and various levels of government), The Legitimacy Clash takes a fresh look at the relationship between majorities and minorities while exploring theoretical advances in both federal studies and contemporary nationalisms. Alain-G. Gagnon critically examines the prospects and potential for a multinational federal state, specifically for nations seeking affirmation in a hostile context. The Legitimacy Clash reflects on the importance of legitimacy over legality in assessing the conflicts of claims.
Introduction
Contribution to the Field of Knowledge
Overview of the Book
1. Laying the Groundwork: Legality, Legitimacy, Fair Democracy
Nation-Building
The Essential Conditions for Political Stability
A Fair Democracy
Redefining Markers
Some Conceptual Clarifications
2. Foundations of and Changes to the Federal Project in Canada
The Canadian National Project
The Main “National” Policies
The Centralization of Power
3. Conceptual Advances in Multinationality and the Definition of Shared Sovereignty
From Territorial Federalism to Multinational Federalism
The Key Federal Traditions
Pactism, or Treaty-Based Federalism
Quebec and the First Peoples
4. The Canadian Political Order and Constitutional Nationalism
Competing Historical Narratives
Constitutional Patriotism
Constitutional Deliberation
Deliberative Constitutionalism
5. Diversity in Advanced Liberal Democracies
The Concept of Diversity
Diversity as a Primary Characteristic of Modern Societies
The Danger of Being Blind to Deep Diversity
Reclaiming the Spirit of Ancient Constitutionalism and Advancing an Authentic Federal Project
6. The International Context and the All-Important Question of Rights
From the Yalta Conference to the Fall of the Berlin Wall
From the Collapse of the Soviet Union to the Failure of the Nationalitary Project in Spain
Rights of National Minorities, Minority Nations, and First Peoples
The Rise of the Majority
7. Multinational Federalism: Challenges, Shortcomings and Promises
Multinational Federalism: A Definition
Nation-Building Processes
Adopting a Multinational Federalism Stance: A Pressing Need
Conclusion
Legitimacy
Aspirations and Constraints
Thinking Outside the Box
Rethinking Constitutional Arrangements
Contestation and Resistance
Adhering to a Living Constitution
Epilogue: On Future Horizons
Bibliography
"The Legitimacy Clash sheds light on the role of Indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities in federal countries. Alain-G. Gagnon’s concept of a multinational federalism is forward looking."