July 21, 2025
The Department of Political Science is pleased to highlight a new publication by faculty member Daniel Bochsler, titled:
"The two genotypes of secession: Explaining non-nationalist independence claims in federal-authoritarian regimes"
Published in Democratization, this article introduces a new veto-player theory of secession, explaining how political reforms in federal-authoritarian regimes—most notably the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia—triggered sovereignty and independence claims, even in the absence of strong nationalist movements.
This open access article contributes to ongoing discussions in comparative politics, federalism, and post-communist state transformation.
Access the full article here: Read the publication