The Repressive Roots of National Identity

How does government repression of its citizens affect national identity? Using an ‘unexpected event’ design around attacks against civilians across sub-Saharan Africa, this study examines how local exposure to state-led violence affects people’s reported attachment to their nation versus their ethnic group in Afrobarometer surveys. It shows that the impact of government violence against civilians is dependent on the ruling party’s local political support. Recent local repression makes people living in regime-supporting districts significantly more likely to identify with their nation over their ethnic group, with limited impacts in regime-opposing districts. The findings demonstrate that government repression has the potential to significantly bolster attachments to the nation amongst observers of the violence. A government’s use of exclusionary tactics against its people can help to build up a shared national identity – but one that is only shared by some of its population.