THE MAKING OF MINORITY POLICIES IN NATIONALIZING STATES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ESTONIA AND ISRAEL
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Authors
Talal, Olga
Date
Type
thesis
Language
eng
Keyword
Ethnic Minorities , Israel , Estonia , Nationalizing States , Comparative Politics
Alternative Title
Abstract
Why do nationalizing states, committed to preferential treatment of the dominant nation
within the state, vary in their treatment of ethnic minorities? Why do some nationalizing states
choose to simultaneously provide a certain degree of accommodation to their ethnic minorities in
some realms while excluding them from others? Under which conditions will these states decide
to shift their policy, and why? The fact that ethnic minorities experience inconsistent state
treatment across time and policy issues warrants a theoretical explanation. Presently, we know
comparatively little about the drivers of policy change in nationalizing states, and the reasons
behind the adoption of inconsistent policies, especially where they are detrimental to the
objectives of the nationalizing political elites.
This dissertation develops a theoretical framework to explain diachronic and across
policy variation toward minorities in states committed to a nationalizing agenda. The main
argument of this dissertation is that fragmentation of political authority can lead to varying
policy outcomes toward ethnic minorities in nationalizing states. At high levels of political
authority that is concentrated in the executive branch, elected officials adopt policies in
accordance with their political preferences and have the oversight capacity to determine adequate
policy outcomes. In this case, nationalist governments are likely to adopt exclusionary policies,
and minority-friendly ones, more accommodating policies. When political authority is
fragmented, additional actors become endowed with policymaking authority. Fragmentation
resulting from delegation of authority to the bureaucracy creates opportunities for entrepreneurial
and savvy bureaucrats to initiate policy diversion from the status quo policy on minority issues.
The extent to which bureaucrats are entrepreneurial and the particular characteristics of their
policymaking behaviour explain why nationalizing states, at times, employ incoherent and
inconsistent policies in relation to their minorities, especially in the absence of alternation of the
governing incumbents.
A process-tracing analysis of the policy process in Israel and Estonia toward the
Palestinian Arab and Russian-speaking minorities, respectively, is used to develop the theoretical
framework of this dissertation.
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ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.