Description
Book SynopsisThrough a synoptic historical sweep of Canada, Spain, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia, The Symbolic State shows us that institutions may be more important for what they mean than for what they do. This book is timely in an era when the power of symbols – Brexit, the Donald Trump presidency, the Black Lives Matter movement – is shaping global politics.
Trade Review"The Symbolic State is a theoretically and empirically ambitious book that challenges scholars of decentralization and secessionism to consider the distinctive dynamics that occur within multinational states. In particular it challenges broad-brush theories of federalism and 'indirect rule' that assume a universal relationship between territorial concessions and self-determination demands. The phenomenon is far more complex and contingent than much of the existing research acknowledges." Jason Sorens, Saint Anselm College and author of Secessionism: Identity, Interest, and Strategy
“An innovative perspective on secessionist claims in multinational states. … Basta’s contribution opens up new ways to address secessionist claims in multinational states, the symbolic sway of institutional recognition, and the importance of unambiguous signalling by majority groups in the run-up to secession. In particular, by analysing processes and the symbolic meaning of institutions, he provides a useful contribution to the scholarship on multinational states and comparative politics.” Europe/Asia Studies
“Basta’s study represents a much welcomed, needed, and highly recommendable book for multiple strands of scholarship, not just for the comparative study of multinational states, but even on the state as well as comparative politics in general." *Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft *
