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Center‐Periphery Bargaining in the Age of Democracy
Author(s) -
Siroky David S.,
Mueller Sean,
Hechter Michael
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
swiss political science review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.632
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1662-6370
pISSN - 1424-7755
DOI - 10.1111/spsr.12235
Subject(s) - optimal distinctiveness theory , democracy , credibility , autonomy , regional autonomy , center (category theory) , independence (probability theory) , political science , political economy , regional science , economic system , economic geography , positive economics , sociology , economics , social psychology , psychology , law , mathematics , chemistry , statistics , politics , crystallography
This paper introduces the key concepts used in this special issue – center, periphery, and vertical bargaining – and inquires why some national groups within democratic states demand outright independence, while others mobilize for regional autonomy and still others settle for even less. It then specifies a theoretical framework that tries to explain cross‐sectional differences and temporal changes in both peripheral demands and central responses. The building blocks of that framework include cultural distinctiveness, credibility of the exit threat and central dependence on the periphery. As an empirical illustration, the paper discusses the case of the Bernese Jura in Switzerland, and then briefly introduces the contributions to this special issue.