"The significant support for Scottish Independence demonstrated in the recent referendum is a symptom of the failure of the system of devolved government in Scotland to meet the aspirations that led to its creation in 1997-8." To what extent do you agree with this statement?.
Your answer should consider the above statement with reference to the following:.
A description of the key developments from 1979 in the process of establishing devolution .
An analysis of the powers and functions of the Scottish Parliament and Government .
An evaluation of the impact of devolution on Scotland .
An evaluation of the impact of proportional representation on the Scottish political system .
An analysis of the debates regarding the concepts of unionism, devolution and separatism in relation to Scotland's constitutional position within the UK .
The above question suggests that Scottish people voted yes in the recent independence debate because they are unhappy with the current Scottish parliament and that it is not satisfying the aspirations that led to its creation. In order to fully answer this you need to look at what are the key events that led up to the creation of the parliament. The functions and founding principles of the Scottish parliament including the areas that are currently devolved powers and those areas we are unable to legislate on. The differences in the voting system between Scotland and Westminster and how the Scottish parliament ensures there is diversity within its members and policy making procedures. Finally you need to consider the various arguments for and against independence and whether we are indeed "Better Together" or not. The question suggests that the reason why a significant number voted yes in the referendum debate was because they were unhappy with the current devolved parliament.
In order to fully consider how effective the Scottish parliament is, it is important to evaluate if it is living up to the aspirations that led to its creation.