Independence referendums. Catalonia in perspective (DOI: 10.2436/20.3000.02.44) Authors Ferran Requejo Universitat Pompeu Fabra Marc Sanjaume-Calvet Universitat Pompeu Fabra Abstract Is the political independence of a territory in a liberal democracy legitimate? Where does the referendum held in Catalonia on 1 October 2017 stand in relation to the comparative politics of cases of independence referendums around the world? We have analysed the first question, which is regulatory, political and moral in nature, in previous studies based on the responses provided by the range of current theories on democracy. We primarily stressed the fact that the responses on legitimacy provided decades ago are insufficient today for both regulatory and institutional reasons. Characteristics of the institutional situation of the case, and more importantly its specific context, must also be included in the analysis. Thus, we should avoid providing simple, general responses to demands for secession. A secession may be legitimate, or more legitimate in some cases than in others. The analyses must be performed on a case-by-case basis – using the most appropriate conceptions in each specific case – while trying to avoid overly simplistic, generic conclusions. In this brief article, we shall analyse the second question above. We will review the history and current status of independence referendums in the world and then analyse the referendum held in Catalonia on 1 October 2017 in light of the data provided by comparative politics, in both democratic and non-democratic settings. We shall further distinguish between consensual and unilateral referendums and consider the conditions of actual access to statehood (effectiveness and recognition).Key words: referendums, comparative politics, liberal democracy, Catalonia.Original source: Revista de Catalunya, 308: 77-101 (2019) Downloads Download data is not yet available. Downloads PDF Published 2019-11-11 Issue No. 9 (2019) Section Political Science License The intellectual property of articles belongs to the respective authors.On publishing articles to the journal Catalan Social Sciences Review (CSSR), authors accept the following terms:Authors assign to Philosophy and Social Sciences Section (a subsidiary of Institut d’Estudis Catalans) the rights of reproduction, communication to the public and distribution of the articles published in Catalan Social Sciences Review (CSSR).Authors are responsible for obtaining permission for the reproduction of all graphic material included in articles.Philosophy and Social Sciences Section declines all liability for the possible infringement of intellectual property rights by authors.The contents published in the journal, unless otherwise stated in the text or in the graphic material, are subject to a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (by-nc-nd) 3.0 Spain licence, the complete text of which may be found at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/deed.en. Consequently, the general public is authorised to reproduce, distribute and communicate the work, provided that its authorship and the body publishing it are acknowledged, and that no commercial use and no derivative works are made of it.Catalan Social Sciences Review (CSSR) is not responsible for the ideas and opinions expressed by the authors of the published articles.
