The consequences of nationalism: A scholarly exchange

Abstract

The main thrust of the scholarship on nationalism has so far been concerned with its origins. But nationalism also has effects. Whether it underpins the nation-building efforts of states, is mobilised by counter-state forces or is used in everyday life, nationalism might implicate a wide range of substantive outcomes, including political regimes, public goods provision, citizenship and immigration laws, and different patterns of conflict. Yet-with a few notable exceptions-the consequences of nationalism have received significantly less scholarly attention. In response, the aim of this Exchange is to create a new dialogue between different strands of scholarship around what we know and do not know about the consequences of nationalism. We organise this Exchange around the following questions: (1) What is nationalism? (2) How can we measure nationalism? (3) What are the consequences of nationalism? (4) What are new research frontiers?

Nationalism and the transformation of the state

“…Unfortunately, however, the vast body of scholarship covering nationalism has surprisingly little to say about its consequences (vom Hau et al, 2023). This applies in particular to the sources of geopolitical instability since the French Revolution, which continue to disrupt the world.…”