Nationalist Movements in the Developed World: Diffusion of Autonomy

How does a multi-national state deal with nationalist movements within its borders? Most of the time, this question is applied to developing nations and their oftentimes violent struggles over decision-making and representation. However, the advanced industrialized countries in Europe are equally concerned about nationalist sentiments, as was evidenced by the Scottish referendum in 2014 and the recent protests in Catalonia, Spain in 2017. The purpose of my analysis will be to examine the results of these struggles, namely the concessions democratic governments make to appease nationalist sentiments in their sub-national regions. In other words, how do democratic governments peacefully negotiate the softening of national separatist movements using the concept of increased regional autonomy?

An example where this phenomenon is especially relevant is the United Kingdom. After the 2014 referendum, Britain negotiated an agreement in which Scotland received increased autonomy from London. This then led to a diffusion effect whereby London granted increased autonomy to its other regional governments, that of Wales and Northern Ireland. My analysis will focus on a qualitative historical narrative, examining these two trends in sequence. I propose that the central government has more to lose if they negotiate with more than one sub-national actor, since each negotiation shifts the balance of power in favor of sub-national governments. This is particularly interesting in a non-federated country like Britain, where the division between the central government and regional sub-governments is not as clearly delineated.