
When Governments Collide
Competition Within Nations in Quebec and Catalonia
Alexandre Couture Gagnon(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Will be published approx. on 22. January 2026
Book
Hardback
152 pages
978-1-041-02448-4 (ISBN)
Description
When Governments Collide: Competition Within Nations in Quebec and Catalonia offers a comparative analysis of Quebec and Catalonia from the perspective of minority cultures operating within broader states, where their cultures and identities sometimes come in conflict with that of the majority, focusing on language, immigration and foreign affairs policy.
Since the mid-to-late 20th century, Quebec and Catalonia have been demanding greater powers from their respective federal or central governments. While Quebec has obtained significant powers over key identity policies (language, immigration and international relations) from Ottawa, Catalonia has faced strong opposition from Madrid. This book looks at how each sub-state navigates its position within its federative context/environment, and how they negotiate and leverage policies in relation to their respective federal governments. It starts by exploring the external factors that have played a large role in allowing Quebec to obtain more powers than Catalonia (such as the impact of Franco's dictatorship on linguistic policy). Also central to the book's analysis is the argument that incremental demands are more likely to be successful than sweeping requests. This "incrementalism" thesis suggests that minority nation governments are more likely to secure concessions from central political authorities by taking smaller, less provocative steps. While this strategy has practical implications, the book also addresses its limitations, noting that incrementalism may not always be feasible or effective.
This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of comparative public policy and politics, and nationalism, providing a timely perspective on forms of minority nationalism.
Since the mid-to-late 20th century, Quebec and Catalonia have been demanding greater powers from their respective federal or central governments. While Quebec has obtained significant powers over key identity policies (language, immigration and international relations) from Ottawa, Catalonia has faced strong opposition from Madrid. This book looks at how each sub-state navigates its position within its federative context/environment, and how they negotiate and leverage policies in relation to their respective federal governments. It starts by exploring the external factors that have played a large role in allowing Quebec to obtain more powers than Catalonia (such as the impact of Franco's dictatorship on linguistic policy). Also central to the book's analysis is the argument that incremental demands are more likely to be successful than sweeping requests. This "incrementalism" thesis suggests that minority nation governments are more likely to secure concessions from central political authorities by taking smaller, less provocative steps. While this strategy has practical implications, the book also addresses its limitations, noting that incrementalism may not always be feasible or effective.
This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of comparative public policy and politics, and nationalism, providing a timely perspective on forms of minority nationalism.
Reviews / Votes
"A landmark comparative study that sheds light on the contrasting trajectories of Quebec and Catalonia. By demonstrating the relevance of incrementalism over confrontation, it offers an original and compelling reading of the strategies of minority nations in today's international system."Stephane Paquin, Professor at Ecole nationale d'administration publique. Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership at UQTR, in collaboration with ENAP.
"When nationalism meets public policy; Alexandre Couture Gagnon has produced a stimulating research monograph that makes a compelling case for minority nations more effectively bolstering their autonomy by taking incremental steps along multiple policy fronts rather than making a big self-determination push."
Andre Lecours, University of Ottawa
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Academic, Postgraduate, and Undergraduate Advanced
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
329 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-041-02448-4 (9781041024484)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
01/2026
Routledge
€73.99
Available for download

E-Book
01/2026
Routledge
€73.99
Available for download
Person
Alexandre Couture Gagnon is an associate professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, USA. Her expertise includes comparative public policy, minority nations and linguistic policy.
Content
Chapter 1: Why study Quebec and Catalonia? Chapter 2: External factors that affected the success of Quebec vs. Catalonia Chapter 3: The core of the minority nation: linguistic policy in Quebec and Catalonia Chapter 4: The future of the minority nation: immigration policy in Quebec and Catalonia Chapter 5: The prestige of the minority nation: foreign relations policy in Quebec and Catalonia Chapter 6: How do minority nations gain more power: Incrementalism