Secessionist Conflict and Affective Polarization: Evidence from Catalonia

Can secessionism be a basis for affective or social polarisation? Despite much research on independence movements, their relationship to polarisation, a key mechanism theorised as increasing the risk of violent conflict, remains less understood. We argue that the issue of secession can...

Do TJ Policies Cause Backlash? Evidence from Street Name Changes in Spain

Memories of old conflicts often shape domestic politics long after these conflicts end. Contemporary debates about past civil wars and/or repressive regimes in different parts of the world suggest that these are sensitive topics that might increase political polarisation, particularly when...

Secession and Social Polarization: Evidence from Catalonia

WIDER Working Paper;2021/2

Does secessionism lead to social polarisation? Despite much research on independence movements, their relationship to polarisation, a key mechanism theorised as increasing the chances of violent conflict, remains less understood. We argue that secessionist conflicts can polarise along both...

The Double Logic of Internal Purges: New Evidence from Francoist Spain

Nationalism and Ethnic Politics 26.3

States often engage in internal purges to eliminate political dissidents within their own ranks. However, partly because of the absence of reliable data, we know little about the logic and dynamics of these purges, particularly of lower-rank members of the state. Why do state authorities...