André Lecours

What does federalism do to welfare states? This question arises in scholarly debates about policy design as well as in discussions about the right political institutions for a country. It has frustrated many, with federalism seeming to matter in all sorts of combinations with all sorts of issues, from nationalism to racism to intergovernmental competition. The diffuse federalism literature has not come to compelling answers for very basic questions.Scott L. Greer, Daniel Béland, André Lecours, and Kenneth A. Dubin argue for a new approach—one methodologically focused on configurations of variables within cases rather than a fruitless attempt to isolate “the” effect of federalism; and one that is substantively engaged with identifying key elements in configurations as well as with when and how their interactions matter. Born out of their work on a multi-year, eleven-country project (published as Federalism and Social Policy: Patterns of Redistribution in Eleven Countries, University of Michigan Press, 2019), this book comprises a methodological and substantive agenda. Methodologically, the authors shift to studies that embraced and understood the complexity within which federal political institutions operate. Substantively, they make an argument for the importance of plurinationalism, changing economic interests, and institutional legacies.

What does federalism do to welfare states? This question arises in scholarly debates about policy design as well as in discussions about the right political institutions for a country. It has frustrated many, with federalism seeming to matter in all sorts of combinations with all sorts of issues, from nationalism to racism to intergovernmental competition. The diffuse federalism literature has not come to compelling answers for very basic questions.Scott L. Greer, Daniel Béland, André Lecours, and Kenneth A. Dubin argue for a new approach—one methodologically focused on configurations of variables within cases rather than a fruitless attempt to isolate “the” effect of federalism; and one that is substantively engaged with identifying key elements in configurations as well as with when and how their interactions matter. Born out of their work on a multi-year, eleven-country project (published as Federalism and Social Policy: Patterns of Redistribution in Eleven Countries, University of Michigan Press, 2019), this book comprises a methodological and substantive agenda. Methodologically, the authors shift to studies that embraced and understood the complexity within which federal political institutions operate. Substantively, they make an argument for the importance of plurinationalism, changing economic interests, and institutional legacies.

The strength of secessionism in liberal-democracies varies in time and space. Inspired by historical institutionalism, Nationalism, Secessionism, and Autonomy argues that such variation is explained by the extent to which autonomy evolves in time. If autonomy adjusts to the changing identity, interests, and circumstances of an internal national community, nationalism is much less likely to be strongly secessionist than if autonomy is a final, unchangeable settlement. Developing a controlled comparison of, on the one hand, Catalonia and Scotland, where autonomy has been mostly static during key periods of time, and, on the other hand, Flanders and South Tyrol, where it has been dynamic, and also considering the Basque Country, Québec, and Puerto Rico as additional cases, this book puts forward an elegant theory of secessionism in liberal-democracies: dynamic autonomy staves off secessionism while static autonomy stimulates it.

Fiscal Federalism and Equalization Policy in Canada aims to increase public understanding of equalization and fiscal federalism by providing a comparative and multidisciplinary perspective on the history, politics, and economics of equalization policy in Canada. The authors provide a brief history, an analysis of the politics of equalization as witnessed over the last fifteen years, and a discussion of key economic debates concerning the role of the program and its effects. They also explore the relationship between equalization and other components of fiscal federalism, particularly the Canada Health Transfer and the Canada Social Transfer. The result is an analysis that draws from the best scholarship available in the fields of economics, economic history, political science, political sociology, and public policy.

An examination of Basque nationalism from a historical perspective.Basque nationalism has been extensively examined from the perspectives of Basque culture and internal conditions in the Basque Country, but André Lecours is among the first to demonstrate how Basque nationalism was shaped by the many forms and historical phases of the Spanish state. His discussion employs one of the most debated approaches in the social sciences — historical institutionalism — and it includes an up-to-date examination of the circumstances for, and consequences of, recent events such as ETA's announcement in 2006 of a permanent cease-fire. Lecours also analyzes other aspects of Basque nationalism, including the international relations of the Basque Autonomous Government, as well as the responses of the contemporary Spanish state and how it deploys its own brand of nationalism. Finally, the book offers a comparative discussion of Basque, Catalan, Scottish, Flemish, and Quebecois nationalist movements, suggesting that nationalism in the Basque Country, despite the historical presence of violence, is in many ways similar to nationalism in other industrialized democracies.Basque Nationalism and the Spanish State is an original and provocative discussion that is essential reading for anyone interested in the Basques or in the development of modern nationalist movements.

At a time when nationalist movements are forcefully looking for new forms of political, institutional, and constitutional accommodation - if not seeking independence altogether - insight into their dynamics is more useful than ever. In The Parliaments of Autonomous Nations, Guy Laforest and Andre Lecours assemble an original perspective on minority nations in Belgium, Canada, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Analyzing how parliaments in Flanders, Quebec, Catalonia, Galicia, the Basque Country, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have worked to build, consolidate, and express their identities, manage and protect the cultural distinctiveness of their communities, as well as articulate self-determination claims, contributors provide insights into these nations' democracies and traditions. Essays also focus on the central parliaments of multinational states, and on the methods used by these parliaments to promote their own national identities and respond to minority nations' claims for recognition, autonomy, or even independence. An illuminating look at the internal forces of Western governments, The Parliaments of Autonomous Nations also offers a broad view of vital concerns such as nationalist struggles, federalism, and parliamentarism.

At a time when nationalist movements are forcefully looking for new forms of political, institutional, and constitutional accommodation - if not seeking independence altogether - insight into their dynamics is more useful than ever. In The Parliaments of Autonomous Nations, Guy Laforest and Andre Lecours assemble an original perspective on minority nations in Belgium, Canada, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Analyzing how parliaments in Flanders, Quebec, Catalonia, Galicia, the Basque Country, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have worked to build, consolidate, and express their identities, manage and protect the cultural distinctiveness of their communities, as well as articulate self-determination claims, contributors provide insights into these nations' democracies and traditions. Essays also focus on the central parliaments of multinational states, and on the methods used by these parliaments to promote their own national identities and respond to minority nations' claims for recognition, autonomy, or even independence. An illuminating look at the internal forces of Western governments, The Parliaments of Autonomous Nations also offers a broad view of vital concerns such as nationalist struggles, federalism, and parliamentarism.

In light of a renewed interest in the study of nationalism, Contemporary Majority Nationalism brings together a group of major scholars committed to making sense of this widespread phenomenon. To better illustrate the reality of majority nationalism and the way it has been expressed, authors combine analytical and comparative perspectives. In the first section, contributors highlight the paradox of majority nationalism and the ways in which collective identities become national identities. The second section offers in-depth case study analyses of France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Canada, and the United States. This book is an international project led by three members of the Research Group on Plurinational Societies based at Universite du Quebec a Montreal. Contributors include James Bickerton (St-Francis Xavier University), Angel Castineira (ESADE - Escuela superior de administracion y direccion de empresas), John Coakley (University College Dublin), Alain Dieckhoff (Institut d'etudes politiques, Paris), Louis Dupont (Sorbonne University), Enric Fossas (Unversitat Autonoma de Barcelona), Alain-G. Gagnon (Universite du Quebec a Montreal), Liah Greenfeld (Boston University), Andre Lecours (Ottawa University), John Loughlin (St Edmund's College, Cambridge, and Cambridge University), and Genevieve Nootens (Universite du Quebec a Chicoutimi).

In light of a renewed interest in the study of nationalism, Contemporary Majority Nationalism brings together a group of major scholars committed to making sense of this widespread phenomenon. To better illustrate the reality of majority nationalism and the way it has been expressed, authors combine analytical and comparative perspectives. In the first section, contributors highlight the paradox of majority nationalism and the ways in which collective identities become national identities. The second section offers in-depth case study analyses of France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Canada, and the United States. This book is an international project led by three members of the Research Group on Plurinational Societies based at Universite du Quebec a Montreal. Contributors include James Bickerton (St-Francis Xavier University), Angel Castineira (ESADE - Escuela superior de administracion y direccion de empresas), John Coakley (University College Dublin), Alain Dieckhoff (Institut d'etudes politiques, Paris), Louis Dupont (Sorbonne University), Enric Fossas (Unversitat Autonoma de Barcelona), Alain-G. Gagnon (Universite du Quebec a Montreal), Liah Greenfeld (Boston University), Andre Lecours (Ottawa University), John Loughlin (St Edmund's College, Cambridge, and Cambridge University), and Genevieve Nootens (Universite du Quebec a Chicoutimi).

Despite the recent proliferation of literature on nationalism and on social policy, relatively little has been written to analyse the possible interaction between the two. Scholars interested in social citizenship have indirectly dealt with the interaction between national identity and social programs such as the British NHS, but they have seldom examined this connection in reference to nationalism. Specialists of nationalism rarely mention social policy, focusing instead on language, culture, ethnicity, and religion. The main objective of this book is to explore the nature of the connection between nationalism and social policy from a comparative and historical perspective. At the theoretical level, this analysis will shed new light on a more general issue: the relationships between identity formation, territorial politics, and social policy. Although this book refers to the experience of many different countries, the main cases are three multinational states, that is, states featuring strong nationalist movements: Canada (Québec), the United Kingdom (Scotland), and Belgium (Flanders). The book looks at the interplay between nationalism and social policy at both the state and sub-state levels through a detailed comparison between these three cases. In its concluding chapter, the book brings in cases of mono-national states (i.e. France, Germany, Sweden, and the United States) to provide broader comparative insight on the meshing of nationalism and social policy. The original theoretical framework for this research is built using insight from selected scholarship on nationalism and on the welfare state.

Despite the recent proliferation of literature on nationalism and on social policy, relatively little has been written to analyse the possible interaction between the two. Scholars interested in social citizenship have indirectly dealt with the interaction between national identity and social programs, but they have seldom examined this connection in reference to nationalism. Specialists of nationalism rarely mention social policy, focusing instead on language, culture, ethnicity, and religion. The main objective of this book is to explore the nature of the connection between nationalism and social policy from a comparative and historical perspective. At the theoretical level, this analysis will shed new light on a more general issue: the relationships between identity formation, territorial politics, and social policy. The cases at the centre of this study are three multinational states, that is, states featuring strong nationalist movements: Canada (Québec), the United Kingdom (Scotland), and Belgium (Flanders).The book looks at the interplay between nationalism and social policy at both the state and sub-state levels through a detailed comparison between these three cases. In its concluding chapter, the book brings in cases of mono-national states, like Germany and the United States to provide broader comparative insight on the meshing of nationalism and social policy. The original theoretical framework for this research is built using insight from selected scholarship on nationalism and on the welfare state.

Basque nationalism has been extensively examined from the perspectives of Basque culture and internal conditions in the Basque Country, but Andre Lecours is among the first to demonstrate how Basque nationalism was shaped by the many forms and historical phases of the Spanish state. His discussion employs one of the most debated approaches in the social sciences - historical institutionalism - and it includes an up-to-date examination of the circumstances for, and consequences of, recent events such as ETA's announcement in 2006 of a permanent cease-fire.Lecours also analyzes other aspects of Basque nationalism, including the international relations of the Basque Autonomous Government, as well as the responses of the contemporary Spanish state and how it deploys its own brand of nationalism. Finally, the book offers a comparative discussion of Basque, Catalan, Scottish, Flemish, and Quebecois nationalist movements, suggesting that nationalism in the Basque Country, despite the historical presence of violence, is in many ways similar to nationalism in other industrialized democracies."" Basque Nationalism and the Spanish State"" is an original and provocative discussion that is essential reading for anyone interested in the Basques or in the development of modern nationalist movements.