A Switzerland of the north? The Nationalistes and a bi‐national Canada^*

Abstract

Nationalism is frequently associated with the break-up of states. This article seeks to demonstrate that nationalism, through the guise of bi-nationalism, can be compatible with the creation and maintenance of a multinational state. The political vision of the Nationalistes of Que´bec provides the focus. In the early twentieth century these individuals believed that Canada could emulate states such as Switzerland and Belgium, which were marked by a degree of power-sharing. They sought the adoption of practices which have since become associated with the doctrine of 'consociationalism'. The research suggests that these nationalists were conscious that federalism, on its own, is not sufficient to accommodate a significant national minority.

TheParthenonMarbles as icons of nationalism in nineteenth‐centuryBritain

“…Its challenge was to encourage the development of a sense of nationhood contiguous with its emerging status as supranational power. This aim is distinct from multinational accommodation (Kennedy ). The project of constructing a universal culture was different to that of accommodating an ethnic plurality.…”

What Do We Know about Power Sharing after 50 Years?

“…Table 4 illustrates the varying positive and negative effects of power sharing across world regions. In North America, the articles reviewed demonstrate that power sharing has exclusively positive effects in Canada (Kennedy 2004). 11 In Europe and Central Asia, power sharing has the second-highest frequency of positive effects in 113 (out of 130) articles, negative effects in 13 articles, mixed effects in 4 articles and no effects in 32 articles.…”

Responding to Empire: Liberal Nationalism and Imperial Decline in Scotland and Québec1

“…However the focus of this article is specifically on their responses to empire and imperial policies, rather than to their respective states and domestic policies. The Nationalistes ' domestic social and political programmes have already been the subjects of investigation (Levitt 1972; Kennedy 2004). Research on the Young Scots' Society has similarly emphasised its domestic Scottish concerns (Hutchison 1986: 223, 232–3, 236–7, 241–2; Findlay 1997a: 51–66).…”