The National Question and Electoral Politics in Quebec and Scotland

In Quebec and Scotland, questions of constitutional change, national identity, and national grievance play an important role in the electoral calculations of political parties and voters. Taking a strong stance on the national question can have strategic benefits both for parties pushing for greater autonomy and for those endorsing the status quo. In this in-depth look at issue voting, authors Éric Bélanger, Richard Nadeau, Ailsa Henderson, and Eve Hepburn examine how the national question affects political parties and voter behaviour in both substate nations. Through party manifestos, interviews with legislators, and opinion survey data, this book demonstrates that calls for constitutional change influence political debate, competition, voter choice, and the outcome of elections not only within Quebec and Scotland but also across Canada and the United Kingdom. Minority nationalist parties, the authors show, can gain support by claiming ownership of issues with widespread public agreement, such as self-determination and protecting the identity and interests of the nation. A comprehensive analysis of recent electoral politics, The National Question and Electoral Politics in Quebec and Scotland greatly enhances our understanding of the electoral impact of substate nationalism.In Quebec and Scotland, questions of constitutional change, national identity, and national grievance play an important role in the electoral calculations of political parties and voters. Taking a strong stance on the national question can have strategic benefits both for parties pushing for greater autonomy and for those endorsing the status quo. In this in-depth look at issue voting, authors Éric Bélanger, Richard Nadeau, Ailsa Henderson, and Eve Hepburn examine how the national question affects political parties and voter behaviour in both substate nations. Through party manifestos, interviews with legislators, and opinion survey data, this book demonstrates that calls for constitutional change influence political debate, competition, voter choice, and the outcome of elections not only within Quebec and Scotland but also across Canada and the United Kingdom. Minority nationalist parties, the authors show, can gain support by claiming ownership of issues with widespread public agreement, such as self-determination and protecting the identity and interests of the nation. A comprehensive analysis of recent electoral politics, The National Question and Electoral Politics in Quebec and Scotland greatly enhances our understanding of the electoral impact of substate nationalism ''This timely Handbook brings together a collection of innovative interdisciplinary approaches to explore the use of research methods in environmental law. With chapters on topics ranging from sustainability, climate change and activism to education, actor-network theory and non-human ontologies, this Handbook provides a theoretically informed analysis of methodological approaches to this important field. Taking into consideration issues such as non-human agency, the Anthropocene, and spatial and material turns in law this book builds on key concepts in the subject. The book also considers how environmental law must adapt to the new and urgent needs of a variety of bodies, both human and non-human, that require its protection. It argues that traditional ways of conceiving environmental law, and of accounting for problems brought about through anthropocentric means, have led to the reinstatement of the problem of environmental degradation without imagining different avenues to resolve it. This Handbook is a key addition to the existing literature and provides an invaluable contribution to practical critique and to the reimagining of environmental law. It will be a crucial compendium for graduate students and researchers in the field of environmental law wishing to explore critical approaches.'' -- Site de l'éditeur Cover THE NATIONAL QUESTION AND ELECTORAL POLITICS IN QUEBEC AND SCOTLAND Title Copyright Contents Tables and Figures Acknowledgments 1 The “National Question” as an Electoral Issue in Quebec and Scotland 2 Party Behaviour in Quebec 3 Party Behaviour in Scotland 4 Voter Behaviour in Quebec 5 Voter Behaviour in Scotland 6 Electoral Politics in Two Substate Nations APPENDICES A Party Manifesto Coding Schemes B Description and Coding of Public Opinion Variables C Regression Results, Quebec D Regression Results, Scotland Notes References Index