Domestic Legitimacy, Coethnics Abroad, and the Shape of the Homeland

Nadav G. Shelef*, Anne Spencer Jamison

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Why does the presence of coethnics across the border sometimes lead to categorizing that land as part of the homeland, but sometimes not? We argue this variation is shaped by whether regimes use ethnic logics to elicit domestic legitimacy. Relying on shared ethnicity for legitimacy elevates ethnicity’s political salience, making ethnic groups living across borders socially meaningful and enabling continued claims to their land as part of the homeland. Using survival analysis, we demonstrate that coethnics’ presence on lost lands significantly influences whether those lands maintain their homeland status largely in contexts where ethnic legitimacy is prominent, such as autocracies, states that marginalize populations along ethnic lines, and countries where the government’s legitimacy cannot be based on economic performance. We also illustrate this phenomenon with a case study of Croatia. Our findings have important implications for understanding how ethnicity interacts with domestic politics to shape territorial conflict.
Original languageEnglish
JournalComparative Political Studies
Number of pages38
ISSN0010-4140
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 10 Jan 2025

Bibliographical note

Epub ahead of print. Published online: 10 January 2025.

Keywords

  • Political regimes
  • Ethnicity
  • Legitimacy
  • Territory

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