The Significance of Ethno-politics in Modern States and Society

Abstract

Ethnic identity, the oldest basis for social association and the building block of most national identities, remains a potent force in societies as well as in domestic and international politics throughout the world. Significant as a uniting and dividing line in its own right, ethnic identity has often proven to be most salient when reinforced by social class differences and/or territorial identity in the minds of those consciously distinguishing themselves from others. Although even authoritarian governments often find that accommodating ethno-political demands is less costly than efforts to repress them, the greatest bargaining between governments and ethno-political groups – and especially those motivated by ethno-class considerations (e.g., anti-immigrant parties) and those pursuing ethno-regional and ethnonational agendas (including separatist movements) – occurs in the democratic and democratizing worlds.