(iPoster) Sovereign Substitution and Constitutional Change in Post-Brexit Ireland

• In Event: Poster Sessions: Ideas, Knowledge, and Politics; European Politics and Society; & International History and Politics
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: European Politics and Society

Abstract

This paper examines Irish reunification by treating Northern Ireland as a case of constitutional change without the creation of a new sovereign state. Rather than approaching reunification as a conventional secessionist project, the analysis introduces the concept of sovereign substitution to describe situations in which voters are asked to choose between existing sovereign and supranational frameworks. In this context, constitutional preferences are shaped less by state-building concerns and more by comparative evaluation of institutional arrangements.

Drawing on a theory-driven qualitative analysis, the paper shows how cultural, economic, and supranational factors operate differently under conditions of substitution. Cultural change in Northern Ireland has reduced the rigidity of identity-based constitutional preferences, allowing greater space for deliberation without the symbolic stakes associated with new state creation. Economic considerations similarly shift away from questions of viability toward assessments of institutional alignment, stability, and long-term integration, particularly in the aftermath of Brexit. Supranational institutions further structure constitutional choice by providing continuity in legal and regulatory frameworks, reducing uncertainty associated with constitutional reallocation.

The paper specifies the scope conditions under which sovereign substitution is most likely to shape constitutional choice and clarifies how this mode of constitutional change differs from classic secessionist cases. By focusing on institutional comparison rather than state creation, the analysis contributes to comparative and European politics scholarship on constitutional change in contexts characterized by dense supranational governance.

Authors

• Unregistered Participant

• James Gilley, Louisiana State University

• Nathan Price