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Can Institutions Build Unity in Multiethnic States?

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  • ELKINS, ZACHARY
  • SIDES, JOHN

Abstract

We investigate whether political institutions can promote attachment to the state in multiethnic societies. Building on literatures on nationalism, democratization, and conflict resolution, we discuss the importance of attachment, understood as a psychological identification with, and pride in, the state. We construct a model of state attachment, specifying the individual-, group-, and state-level conditions that foster it. Then, using cross-national survey data from 51 multiethnic states, we show that, in general, ethnic minorities manifest less attachment to the states in which they reside than do majorities. Combining the survey data with minority group attributes and country-level attributes, we show that the attachment of minorities varies importantly across groups and countries. Our central finding is that federalism and proportional electoral systems—two highly touted solutions to ethnic divisions—have at best mixed effects. These results have implications for state-building and democratic consolidation in ethnically heterogeneous states.

Suggested Citation

  • Elkins, Zachary & Sides, John, 2007. "Can Institutions Build Unity in Multiethnic States?," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 101(4), pages 693-708, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:apsrev:v:101:y:2007:i:04:p:693-708_07
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    Cited by:

    1. Gary Goertz & Tony Hak & Jan Dul, 2013. "Ceilings and Floors," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 42(1), pages 3-40, February.
    2. Thomas Christin & Simon Hug, 2012. "Federalism, the Geographic Location of Groups, and Conflict," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 29(1), pages 93-122, February.
    3. Giuditta Fontana & Argyro Kartsonaki & Natascha S Neudorfer & Dawn Walsh & Stefan Wolff & Christalla Yakinthou, 2021. "The dataset of Political Agreements in Internal Conflicts (PAIC)," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 38(3), pages 338-364, May.
    4. Fiedler, Charlotte & Mross, Karina & Berg, Anna & Bhattarai, Prakash & Drees, Dorothea & Kornprobst, Tim & Leibbrandt, Alexandra & Liegmann, Philipp & Riebsamen, Maleen, 2022. "What role do local elections play for societal peace in Nepal? Evidence from post-conflict Nepal," IDOS Discussion Papers 4/2022, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    5. Tamilina, Larysa, 2021. "The Dynamics of National Identity and Pride Formation in Ukraine," MPRA Paper 111033, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. John Kincaid & Richard L. Cole, 2016. "Citizen Evaluations of Federalism and the Importance of Trust in the Federation Government for Opinions on Regional Equity and Subordination in Four Countries," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 46(1), pages 51-76.
    7. Deniz Aksoy & Dino Hadzic, 2019. "Political institutions and collective attachments," European Union Politics, , vol. 20(4), pages 584-607, December.
    8. Bastiaan Bruinsma & Marlene Mußotter, 2023. "A Move Forward: Exploring National Identity Through Non-linear Principal Component Analysis in Germany," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 885-903, February.
    9. Flesken, Anaïd, 2014. "Researching Ethnic Relations as the Outcome of Political Processes," GIGA Working Papers 251, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies.

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