Student Resources - Chapter sixteen
Chapter 16: Devolution
SETTING THE SCENE
This final chapter deals with a major topic which, although by no means new, has developed very strongly since the 1970s in Britain: devolution. This topic, like that of Europe discussed in chapter 15, calls into question the nature of our state and raises important issues about British nationality and citizenship. As Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland work with their new position within the United Kingdom, how does this affect the position of England?
KEY TOPICS
- The nation
- Nationalism
- Unitary state
- Federal state
- Devolution
- Ultra vires
- The Good Friday Agreement
Are any of the terms below unclear to you? If so, perhaps you should look over this chapter or use the searchable glossary to familiarise yourself with these terms.
- Nation
- Nationalism
- Unitary state
- Federal state
- Devolution
- Ultra vires
- The Good Friday Agreement
Matching Exercise: Chapter Sixteen
| Nation | A group of people who feel bound together by common racial, cultural or geographical ties. |
| Nationalism | The process by which a superior political authority at the centre grants power and rights to an inferior authority in a region of the country. |
| Unitary state | One in which sovereignty is located in one place, concentrated at the ‘centre’ of the state. |
| Federal state | One in which the constitution lays down that sovereignty is shared between the central authority and local and regional authorities. |
| Devolution | The ideology or set of political beliefs held by nationalists, who are people who wish to emphasize the importance of their national identity, often in order to create an independent country for their nation to live in. |
| Ultra vires | The 1998 agreement that established the peace process in Northern Ireland. |
| The Good Friday Agreement | Latin for 'beyond its powers'. |
Further reading for Chapter Sixteen
V. Bogdanor, Devolution in the United Kingdom (Opus, 2001): dissection of the problem by the great expert in the field.
V. Bogdanor, Joined-Up Government (British Academy, 2006): wide-ranging academic study which goes beyond local and regional government.
J. Kellas, The Scottish Political System (Cambridge, 1975): fascinating insight into the ancient regime in Scotland.
C. Pilkington, Devolution in Britain Today (MUP, 2002): sane introduction for the sixth-form student.
G. Stoker (ed.), The New Politics of Local Government (Basingstoke, 2000): academic analysis by a leading expert in the field.
Websites
- www.snp.org.uk (Scottish National Party)
- www.plaidcymru.org.uk (Plaid Cymru)
- www.nio.gov.uk (Northern Ireland Office)
- www.local-regions.odpm.gov.uk (Local & Regional section of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister)
- www.scotland.go.uk (Scottish Executive)
- www.scottish.parliament.uk (Scottish Parliament)
- www.wales.gov.uk (Welsh Executive)
- www.ni-assembly.gov.uk (Northern Ireland Assembly)
Multiple Choice Quiz 16
Click here to access the Multiple Choice Quiz for this Chapter.
Worksheet 1
Download Worksheet 1 Devolution - handout
