Democracy

Brexit and the inevitability of Scottish Independence

Author / Creator: Paul Cairney

Media type: Assessment report

Date published:

Only independence can remove the democratic deficit.  Scottish independence is the cosmopolitan choice.  There will be some economic damage, uncertainty, and a new currency.  No has, in some ways, a stronger case in the second referendum but a far lower chance of success: it will lose because there will be no-one out there able to tell the No story.


Minimizing the Cost of Union: Fiscal Autonomy and the Case of Scotland

Author / Creator: Paul Hallwood

Media type: Academic Paper

Date published: 2020

Argues for federalism in public funding where taxation is devolved.  This would improve the link between public finance and democracy.


Populism, democracy and a pedagogy of renewal

Author / Creator: Margaret Petrie

Media type: Academic Paper

Date published:

The implications of populism for adult education aimed at defending and extending democratic life. The conflation of agonistic democracy with left populism is questioned. We consider how a focus on education might help to ground their theory and clarify popppulism's ambiguities. 


DEMOCRACY MAX A vision for a good Scottish democracy

Author / Creator: Electoral Reform Society

Media type: Policy Paper

Date published: 2013

  • Sovereignty of the People – How do we return more power to the people?
  • Defending our democracy – How do we stop vested interests having too much influence?
  • How do we write the rules – How do we get the checks and balances our democracy needs?


A Citizens’ Assembly for the Scottish Parliament

Author / Creator: Common Weal

Media type: Policy Paper

Date published: 2020?

A Citizens’ Assembly will gather citizens’ opinions, enabling political decisions to be made after getting citizens’ considered and informed judgement. The overarching benefit of a Citizens’ Assembly in the Scottish Parliament would be a profound increase in the legitimacy of Scottish laws .


Renew: Six policies that can refresh the Scottish Government’s domestic agenda

Author / Creator: Common Weal

Media type: Policy Paper

Date published:

Policies  to renew the Scottish Government’s domestic agenda: 

  • Create a Scottish National Investment Bank
  •  Build the homes and infrastructure that people need
  • Create a world-class childcare system.
  • Give more power to citizens.