Abstract
The idea of ‘new politics' in Scotland, in the 1990s, was based on a rejection of the ‘majoritarian’ politics of ‘old Westminster’ in favour of a ‘consensus democracy’ associated with Scandinavian countries. Yet, the nascent literature suggests that Scottish and UK policy-making practices are similar. UK policy making does not live up to its majoritarian reputation and Scotland was designed with key ‘old Westminster’ features. We extend the comparison to Sweden, as one of several, distinctive, Nordic reference points in Scotland. We examine critically its consensual image and identify the ways in which Scotland has similar features. The study helps clarify the practical meaning of majoritarian and consensus and encourages scholars to focus on actual behaviour rather than policy-making reputations. It also informs current debates on Scotland's future, using long-term evidence to inform recent attempts to revive this focus on the Nordic ideal.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1-18 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Regional and Federal Studies |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 24 Mar 2015 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Mar 2015 |
Keywords
- British politics
- consensus
- majoritarian
- Scottish politics
- Swedish politics
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Anders Widfeldt
- Social Science, Politics - Senior Lecturer
- Social Science, Politics and International Relations
Person: Academic