Does Nation Building Increase the Strength of Citizen Loyalty? Theoretical and Empirical Investigations of Ukrainian Nationalism

A widespread—yet for the most part untested—proposition about nationalism is that it promotes political legitimacy, and thereby undergirds people’s allegiance to their state and their willingness to support and comply with government policies. This article reconsiders the general proposition through an examination of survey data from Ukraine. Using multivariate statistical analysis, the study isolates four dimensions of nationhood and explores how they might affect three dimensions of citizen loyalty. The study shows that all three types of citizen loyalty are influenced by one or more dimension of nationhood. Moreover, all four aspects of nationhood have an impact on citizen loyalty, though only particular types of nationhood are associated with particular dimensions of such loyalty. The empirical analysis thus reveals strengths and limitations to the notion that nationalism promotes political obligation and political obedience.