You Can Go Your Own Way: Explaining Partisan Support for Independence
Journal: RePEc: Research Papers in Economics
Year: 2014

This paper analyzes secessions through the lens of representative democratic institutions and considers the incentives of partisan political parties to support independence movements. It points out that, if anything, separatists should expect to receive support from exactly the "unlike-minded" political party - the reason being that this party might see a break-up as an opportunity to reshape the electorate towards its own preferences. By doing so, a party could increase its future probability o