Patterns of allegiance: An empirical analysis of group identity and international relations

This dissertation employs original and secondary survey research in order to discuss allegiance in an appropriately but not infinitely nuanced international context. Hypothesizing that allegiance is not best understood in terms of “nationalism vs. internationalism,” I demonstrate the coherence of five basic “levels” of allegiance (localism, patriotism, civilizationism, multiculturalism and universalism) as well as the empirical differentiation of allegiance across issue areas (economics, politics, security and culture). I compare these empirical “patterns” of allegiance with numerous ideal types discussed in the theoretical literature, paying particular attention to canonical and contemporary political philosophy.; After considering whether various categories of allegiance are or are not “salient,” I discuss the more fundamental question of what people's allegiances actually are. Along with attending to cross-national differentiation in allegiance, I pay particular attention to demographic predictors (e.g., gender, age, race, income, education and left-right orientation). In my original as well as my secondary research, I uncover many findings that run counter to conventional wisdom.; I next examine trends in allegiance over time. Various authors have argued that national patriotism will soon give way to localism, regionalism universalism, or something else. I consider the extent to which each of these claims is supported by empirical evidence. While the analysis of this section of the dissertation is particularly rudimentary, I offer my own general prediction for the future of the nation-state. Most interesting for scholars of international relations, however, may be my preliminary consideration of allegiance as a predictor of international outcomes— i.e., my attempt to test not only the “nationalism-war connection” but also the connection between conflict behavior and other modes of allegiance. In the case of “localism,” notably, I attempt to predict not only inter-state but also intra-state conflict. Although I turn up numerous statistically significant findings, my primary recommendation is for more detailed cross-national research. (This should likewise aid in the analysis of allegiance as a predictor of economic, political and cultural “outcomes.”); After linking my findings to a future agenda for opinion research in IR, I conclude the dissertation by showing how my account of allegiance relates to particular foreign policy issues.