Small countries are vulnerable in a world of large states. But they may have opportunities not open to their larger neighbours. This work examines three different models of adaptation, concluding that, whichever model is adopted, it will require internal reform as well as external independence.
The argument about small states is not only relevant for the debate about independence. A devolved Scotland with enhanced powers could potentially exploit its size and small policy communities to link up welfare, active labour market policies, training, education and economic development. It could design a less punitive and more productive social security regime.
The example of Quebec shows how a non-sovereign government can reshape the social and economic model in significant ways, resisting the general Canadian drift to social and economic inequality. It is not small size in itself or formal sovereignty that matter, but the way in which small nations can adapt to the global marketplace and steer their own futures.
Successful small states have usually developed their social and political institutions and practices over a long period of time, or following critical events such as war or regime change. Older nations, like Scotland, have a legacy of institutions and practices from the industrial era, which may make adaptation more difficult. So, becoming a successful independent state would require not merely external adaptation but also extensive internal change.
pp 223 - 270 in Scotland’s new choice Independence after Brexit, 2021