Only Sentiments: The Impact of Variation in the Scope of Regional Autonomy on National Identity in Quebec and the Basque Country

Territorial autonomy is an arrangement under which regions are granted extensive self- government and can take various forms depending on the policies devolved from a central to a regional administration. National identity is often at the forefront of efforts to establish territorial autonomy. This research takes a mixed methods approach to examining the effects of regional autonomy on local policy and national identity, using Quebec and the Basque Country as case studies. This paper analyzes linguistic and social legislation, political party platforms, and survey data on national identity from the two regions between 2018 and 2022 to assess the implications of policy devolution on patterns of identity. This research finds that expanded regional autonomy does not correspond with a greater share of the population expressing a primarily regional identity. These findings suggest that policymakers should prioritize clearly articulating the terms of regional autonomy when establishing systems of territorial self-government.