The Origins of Common Identity: Evidence from Alsace-Lorraine

Sirus Dehdari () and Kai Gehring

No 7949, CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo

Abstract: The quasi-exogenous division of the French regions Alsace and Lorraine after the Franco-Prussian War allows us to provide evidence about group identity formation within historically homogeneous regions. We use several measures of stated and revealed preferences at the municipal-level in a geographical regression discontinuity design. More nation-state repression is associated with a strengthening of regional identity in the short, medium, and long run. We explain this in a model and document that the establishment of regionalist organizations is a key mechanism to strengthen identity. A relatively stronger regional compared to national identity is associated with preferences for more regional decision-making.

Keywords: group identity; nation-building; repression; assimilation; regional identity; border regions; Alsace-Lorraine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D91 H70 N40 Z19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cdm, nep-his, nep-ore and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The Origins of Common Identity: Evidence from Alsace-Lorraine (2022)
Working Paper: The Origins of Common Identity: Evidence from Alsace-Lorraine (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ces:ceswps:_7949

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