Creating New States: Why are Referendums used to Decide Secession?

• In Event: Conflict, Governance, and International Political Order

Abstract

Referendums are increasingly gaining attention as tools to decide one of the most fundamental discussions in politics: the creation of a new political community. In just the past three years, this has been the case in places as diverse as New Caledonia, Catalonia, Kurdistan, Puerto Rico, and South Brazil. Independence referendums are not particularly rare: between 1776 and 2012, Mendez & Germann (2016) identified 607 cases of sovereignty referendums in both democracies and non-democracies. The strategies adopted to pursue independence vary but involve both institutional and extra-institutional activities.

This article discusses one main question: why do referendums on secessions take place? In other words, what strategic value do referendums have for the distinct community attempting to secede? By analyzing prominent cases of secession referendums and using interview data from secession leaders in recent movements, I argue that calling a referendum as part of a secession movement provides several strategic advantages for groups attempting to secede.

Secessionists call referendums for the following reasons: 1) The referendum is a key event that transfers power away from political elites and towards citizens, who become responsible for deciding independence; 2) The referendum solidifies the identity of a distinct community, thus increasing the number of citizens concerned with secession; 3) The referendum frames independence in terms of democracy and the right of people to self-determination, making it difficult for the central government to argue against these rights; 4) The referendum forces the central government to act, by setting date where citizens will decide independence (a self-created window of opportunity). These strategic reasons—listed in no particular order—demonstrate that referendums are not neutral decision-making tools; they are tools that secession movements utilize to achieve their cause.

What areas of study does this research fall under? Considering the referendum, the social movement towards session, and the possibility of creating a new state, this research lies at the intersection of three broad inquiries of political science: voting and democracy, social movements, and international relations. Tying these together is a fascinating event: referendums as part of secession movements seeking to create a new independent state. The outcome of secession referendums is not always positive; they have resulted in a variety of outcomes, including peaceful independence, domestic repression, devolution, and civil war. Some outcomes—like civil war and the creation of new states—in turn affect the international distribution of power and can have widespread effects on international politics.

Author

• Juve James Cortes-Rivera, Pablo De Olavide University