Date & Time: Los Angeles (9 am), Cincinnati (12 pm), Bath (5 pm), Munich (6 pm), Beijing (November 24, 1 am), Singapore (November 24, 1 am), Sydney (November 24, 4 am)

Sara Mitchell will present the paper titled "Interstate Identity Claims under the Territorial Integrity Norm" (joint work with Paul R. Hensel, Christopher Macaulay, Andrew P. Owsiak, and Krista E. Wiegand).

This talk is part of the Global Seminar on Contests & Conflict, a bi-weekly online seminar series with researchers from across the world. You can sign up to the Global Network to get information and invitations (including the Zoom Link for each event) about the Global Seminar here: Max-Planck-Institut für Steuerrecht und Öffentliche Finanzen: Global Seminar on Contests & Conflict (mpg.de).

Abstract of the Paper:
We argue that states constrained by the territorial integrity norm are less likely to pursue irredentist claims to capture territory containing their ethnic kin, and instead support the group’s efforts to seek independence or better treatment within the state such as protection of language and voting rights. Analyses with the ICOW identify claims dataset from 1946-2018 and four different measures of the strength of the territorial integrity norm at the global, regional, and dyadic levels shows that strengthening territorial integrity norms increase states’ support for their ethnic kin’s demands for independence or improved treatment of the group in domestic politics. However, territorial integrity norms have no effect on whether states pursue irredentist claims to reincorporate ethnic kin into the state. While irredentist claims have become less frequent over time, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 illustrates limitations to territorial integrity norms and competition with other norms like self-determination.

Chair: Dan Kovenock, Co-Chair: Iryna Topolyan