More Scottish than British: The 2011 Scottish Parliament Election(Comparative Territorial Politics)

With the aid of the most extensive and comprehensive survey data extracted from voters during the 2011 Scottish General, this book analyses the reasons behind why the SNP not only retained their mandate from the people to govern Scotland but further succeeded in winning a resounding majority in the Scottish Parliament. In tackling this overarching question other complex issues are also explored such as whether a pre-occupation with events at Westminster confined the Scottish Elections to the realm of 'second-order' elections? What impact the financial crisis had on elected a parliament that in reality has little economic power? The volume also has a broader appeal to devolved parliamentary elections more broadly by exploring what matters to voters when they cast their ballots for their national parliament in a complex, multi-level Political system. Examining performance evaluations, party loyalties and constitutional preferences, the authors show that Scottish elections are increasingly Scottish affairs, where voters are concerned with government competence - in domestic matters and in managing relations with Westminster.

Table of Contents:
List of Tables and Figures 1. The 2011 Scottish Election in Context 2. Results and the Sources of Party Support 3. Parties and Leaders 4. Performance Politics at Holyrood 5. How 'Scottish' was this Election 6. Party Choice in 2011 Appendices

About the Author :
Professor Christopher Carman held previous positions at the Universities of Pittsburgh and Strathclyde before joining the University of Glasgow, UK, in 2013. While at Strathclyde he directed the 2011 Scottish Election Study. He has written on a variety of topics in public opinion and political representation in the US and UK contexts, including Representing Red and Blue: How the Culture Wars Change the Way Citizens Speak and Politicians Listen (2012) and Elections and Voters in Britain (2012). Dr Robert Johns is Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Essex, UK. Previously he worked at the University of Strathclyde where he co-founded the Scottish Election Study. He has written on several topics in public opinion and political psychology, including co-authorship of Voting for a Scottish Government (2010) and Elections and Voters in Britain (2012). James Mitchell held chairs in Politics in the Universities of Sheffield and Strathclyde before taking up his post in the University of Edinburgh, UK, in 2013. He co-directed the ESRC Scottish Election Studies in 1992, 2007 and 2011 and the Scottish Referendum study in 1997 and co-authored monographs on each. His most recent books include (with L. Bennie and R. Johns), The Scottish National Party (Oxford University Press) and Devolution in the United Kingdom (Manchester University Press).