Debating Scotland : issues of independence and union in the 2014 referendum / edited by Michael Keating.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Keating, Michael, 1950- editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Self-determination, National--Scotland.

Self-determination, National.

Home rule--Scotland.

Home rule.

History.

Autonomy and independence movements.

Politics and government.

Scotland.

Scotland--Politics and government--21st century.

Scotland--History--Autonomy and independence movements.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xv, 226 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press 2017.

Summary:

"On 18 September 2014, Scotland held a referendum on the question: Should Scotland be an independent country? This is a most unusual event in modern democracies and engaged the political class, civil society, and the general public to an unprecedented degree, leading to an 85 per cent turnout in the final vote. This was an occasion to debate not just the narrow constitutional issue but the future of the nation, including the economy, social welfare, defence and security, and Scotland's place in Europe and the world. Debating Scotland comes from a team of researchers who observed the debates from close-up and engaged with both sides, with the media and with the public in analyzing the issues, while remaining neutral on the independence question. The book examines the main issues at stake, how they were presented, and how they evolved over the course of the campaign. The editors and contributing authors explore the ways both independence and union were framed, the economic issues, the currency, welfare, defence and security, the European Union, and how the example of small independent states was used. The volume concludes with an analysis of voter responses, based upon original survey research, which demonstrates how perceptions of risk and uncertainty on the main issues played a key role in the outcome."-- Dust jacket.

Contents:

1 The Scottish Independence Debate / Michael Keating Keating, Michael, Nicola McEwen McEwen, Nicola 1

Scotland as a Political Community 5

Political Traditions in Scotland 7

Towards the Referendum 8

The Rules 10

The Protagonists 10

Experts and Evidence 14

The Issues 16

Identity: Scottishness, Britishness, and Union 16

The Economy 18

Welfare 19

The External Dimension 20

Risk and Uncertainty 21

The Chapters 22

2 The Economy / Patrizio Lecca Lecca, Patrizio, Peter G. McGregor McGregor, Peter G., J. Kim. Swales Swales, J. Kim. 27

Introduction 27

Standard Economic Evaluation: Establishing the Counterfactual 28

Standard Evaluation: Identifying the Alternative 30

Advocacy 35

Behavioural Approaches 37

Net Financial Benefits/Costs to Scottish Households 40

Conclusion 42

3 Public Finance and Taxation / David Bell Bell, David, David Eiser Eiser, David 45

Introduction 45

The Protagonists 46

The Data 49

What Did They Argue About? 51

Scotland's Fiscal Balance 51

Pensions 55

North Sea Oil and Gas Revenues 57

Debt 59

Health Spending 61

Fiscal Issues That Had Little Traction in the Referendum Debate 62

Conclusion 63

4 The Currency Issue: Contested Narratives on Currency Union and Independence / Coree Brown Swan Swan, Coree Brown, Bettina Petersohn Petersohn, Bettina 65

Introduction 65

The Options and the Protagonists 66

Currency, Statehood, and Nationalism 68

Competing Frames 72

Knowledge Claims 74

Tactics 78

Conclusion 81

5 Welfare: Contesting Communities of Solidarity / Nicola McEwen McEwen, Nicola 84

The Welfare State and the Nation-State 86

The Protagonists 89

Framing the Debate 91

Independence and the Defence of the Welfare State 91

An Appeal to the Social Union 94

The Costs of the Welfare State Under Independence 96

Welfare Bureaucracies and Cross-Border Cooperation 98

Conclusion 100

6 The European Question / Michael Keating Keating, Michael 102

Europe in the Independence Debate 102

Europe and Nationalism 102

Dramatis Personae 104

The Independence Proposals 106

Arguments of Principle 107

The Process 109

Veto Points and National Interests 110

Terms and Opt-outs 113

Costs 114

What Vision for Europe? 115

The Balance of Opinion 116

7 Defence and Security / Colin Fleming Fleming, Colin 119

The Defence Issue 119

The Protagonists and Framing the Issue 120

The Proposals 123

NATO 127

Trident 130

Security Threats 132

Economic Arguments 132

Conclusion 133

8 The Constitution of an Independent Scotland: Popular Empowerment or Judicial Supremacy? / Stephen Tierney Tierney, Stephen 135

Introduction 135

Background 136

The Proposed Interim Constitution 137

Towards a Permanent Constitution 142

Judicial Supremacy Not Popular Sovereignty? 146

Conclusion 151

9 The Small State Argument / Malcolm Harvey Harvey, Malcolm 152

Size in the Independence Debate 152

Small States in the Modern World 153

Small States in the Scottish Debate 155

Small States Good 157

Big States Better 160

Balancing the Arguments 162

10 Voters' Response to the Campaign: Evidence from the Survey / Robert Lineira Lineira, Robert, Ailsa Henderson Henderson, Ailsa, Liam Delaney Delaney, Liam 165

Introduction 165

Status Quo, Independence, or Further Devolution? 167

Demographic Factors, Political Predispositions, and Constitutional Preferences 172

Issues and Risk Perceptions 175

The Economy 176

Equality and the Welfare State 182

The Role of Risk Attitudes 184

What Next for Scotland? 186

Conclusion 187

11 Beyond the Referendum / Nicola McEwen McEwen, Nicola, Michael Keating Keating, Michael 191

Lessons of the Referendum 191

Dominant Campaign Themes 191

Did the Campaign Matter? 193

Winners and Losers in the Referendum Debate 195

When No Means More 197

Beyond the Scottish Case 200.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780198789819

0198789815

OCLC:

955312907