Independence, Federalism and Secession: Catalonia and Beyond

This course offers an overview on the concepts and practice of federalism and self-determination concerning their history and application to different contexts. From the Philadelphia Convention and Mr. President Woodrow Wilson Fourteen Points to the recent Catalan Declaration of sovereignty or the Scottish 2014 referendum the notions of federalism and self-determination have suffered several changes. On one hand, this course provides a theoretical knowledge on federal systems, self-determination and secession through its history, main theories and international legal status. On the other hand, it applies theoretical knowledge to federal countries (US, Canada, Germany, Belgium) and to processes of self-determination in Europe. At the end of the course the student will be able to identify different meanings of federalism and self-determination through history and will have an expertise on practical cases in Europe (Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Basque Country, Catalonia, Scotland...).

*Previous course name: Federalism, Secession and Self-Determination