Regional sub-state diplomacy has come of age. No longer limited to federal states in Europe, today sub-state entities across the world engage in international relations, and conduct a “foreign policy” parallel to, complementary to or sometimes in conflict with their central governmental counterparts. Since the late 1990s, the spectrum of diplomatic instruments and the strategies that accompany them have become more diverse and complex. Regional Sub-State Diplomacy Today offers detailed and recent data on the nature, width and complexity of regions engaging in international relations. It includes cases from all over the world. Next to comparative empirical studies, Regional Sub-State Diplomacy Today also offers original theoretical perspectives on the multi-faceted dimensions of regional sub-state diplomacy. It is ideal for both students and practitioners of sub-state diplomacy.

This topical book analyses the practice of negotiating constitutional demands by regional and dispersed national minorities in eight multinational systems. It considers the practices of cooperation and litigation between minority groups and central institutions in Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, and the U.S. and includes an evaluation of the implications of the recent Catalan, Puerto Rican and Scottish referenda. Ultimately, the author shows that a flexible constitution combined with a versatile constitutional jurisprudence tends to foster institutional cooperation and the recognition of the pluralistic nature of modern states