Description
Book SynopsisIn 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, specifi
Table of Contents
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
