Paper long abstract:

What is required for ethnoterritorial autonomy to be maintained once it has been granted by national political actors? Neither the normative nor the empirical literature on identity politics addresses this question. The normative literature makes liberal arguments in defense of group rights with the assumption that, where group claims are legitimate, the national government would credibly commit to autonomy. The empirical literature also assumes that where political conditions are threatening, the centre will devolve power. Both assumptions are contradicted by the reality that autonomies granted are either artificial or re-appropriated by the national government. The public choice literature attempts to answer the question but its argument about market preserving federalism presents respect for local autonomy as a voluntary act by national rulers. As in the normative and empirical literature on identity politics, the question of what is required for autonomy to be sustained remains unaddressed. This paper tries to fill the gap by hypothesizing that group unity premised on fundamental issues of identity and the practice of democracy make for durable territorial autonomy. This thesis is developed by examining two cases: Quebec in Canada and states creation in Nigeria. The first case will prove the presence of the above listed variables as critical conditions for durable autonomy. The second case information will indicate that where the variables are lacking, autonomy will be elusive.