As discussed in this weeks reading and harkening back to Chapter 3, devolution, the process by which power is granted to lower levels of government, occurs in both new democracies dealing with issue of inclusion and representation, and advanced democracies as a means to empower different groups.
Keep in mind that power still remains with the central government, which can repeal devolved powers at any time. In Chapter 8, Scotland is discussed as an example of devolution, with the U.K. granting Scotland its own parliament (it also granted devolved power to Wales, N. Ireland, and more recently, to England itself).
As the country had a (defeated) historic vote on independence from the U.K. in 2014, and renewed interest in a new vote after Brexit, I''d like you to watch the following from the Financial Times (2/2/14) - Scotland: Deciding its destiny
READ THIS :
"Will France Sound the Death Knell for Social Democracy?" by James Angelos in The New York Times Magazine. 24 January 2017.
"Nordic-Style Designs Sit at Heart of French Labor Plan" by Peter S. Goodman in The New York Times. 26 October 2017.
"Stranded French Commuters Could Test Macron''s Reform Agenda" by Adam Nossiter in The New York Times. 4 April 2018.
"Would Britain face break-up after Brexit?" by Peter Spence in The Telegraph. June 20, 2016.
"Scotland Votes to Demand a Post-Brexit Independence Referendum" by Stephen Castle in The New York Times. 28 March 2017.
(*fyi: According to the latest polls, a majority of Scots don''t want another referendum before Brexit is finalized leading to more cautious statements from First Minister Sturgeon)
Read & Listen to "Can The European Welfare State Survive?" (7:45) on PBS' Morning Edition. July 14, 2010.
After covering this material, do you believe that Brexit threatens the integration of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland)? As we saw in the video, the Scots voted in favor of devolution in 1997, and now Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland all have devolved powers. And we also see that the independence referendum in Scotland in 2014 failed (approx. 55%-45%); the majority of Scots wanted to remain in the U.K. Integrating the language from our text, how do see Brexit challenging the continued integration of the U.K.?
A reminder that you need to answer the prompt directly integrating the terminology from our text, use support from our materials then respond your opinion what do you think about this ?
"Brexit is definitely a threat to the integration of the United Kingdom and poses a threat to its continued integration. Brexit acted as a demonstration that smaller states can call for independence if they aren''t happy, which is not good for integration. Scotland was granted devolution, which O''Neil defines as "the process of transferring powers and resources away from central state institutions and vesting them at a lower level" (258). Scotland already voted in 1997 for devolution, which shows a need for autonomy and national identity. The number of supporters has also risen from 30% to almost half of people wanting to part ways with the UK. Devolution of Scotland also shows how unstable the United Kingdom is. A sense of Scottish pride causing Scotland to devolve would probably lead to more states wanting independence. Scotland was a victim of this concept, since England leaving the EU, so easily, showed the possibility of independence and the instability of the entire system. As the video "Scotland: Deciding its Destiny" shows, Scots have converted from British mindsets to Scottish identities, which is not good for the future of integrated United Kingdom"
Attachment:- Scotland -Deciding its Destiny.rar