| ID | 111574 |
| Title Proper | Independence referendums and democratic theory in Quebec and Montenegro |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Oklopcic, Zoran |
| Publication | 2012. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The article tackles some of the questions that arise from the invocation of "the people" in independence referendums in a contextualized way by examining the constitutional experience of two independence referendums: Quebec's unsuccessful independence referendum in 1995 and Montenegro's successful one in 2006. I argue that democratic theory does not presuppose the unified people as a decision-making unit, but rather that it conceals two, more logically primitive-and to an extent conflicted-general conceptions relevant to independence referendums. While not arbitrating between them, the concluding part argues that the tension in democratic theory ought to, at a minimum, contribute to reducing the vehemence of nationalist politics involved in attempts to achieve political independence. |
| `In' analytical Note | Nationalism and Ethnic Politics Vol. 18, No.1; Jan-Mar 2012: p.22-42 |
| Journal Source | Nationalism and Ethnic Politics Vol. 18, No.1; Jan-Mar 2012: p.22-42 |
| Key Words | Independence Referendums ; Democratic Theory ; Montenegro ; Quebec |