Constitutional Futures and Models of Policy Making

苏格兰的宪法辩论集中在三个选项上：独立;最大权力下放;以及新苏格兰法案下的增量。从法律的角度来看，这些是不同的，但作为自治形式，它们是同一光谱上的点。它们甚至正在趋同，因为独立提案设想建立一个货币联盟和共同机构，而苏格兰法案规定逐步增加权力。这反映了一个主权独立被削弱、政体相互依存的现代世界。我们可以从其他小型司法管辖区汲取经验，或会认为外来压力太大，以致小型自治单位在税务、开支和福利方面没有多少回旋余地。然而，他们以不同的方式应对外部压力。两种理想的模式是基于低税收、放松管制和波动工资和支出水平的市场主导战略;以及基于社会伙伴关系和谈判的协调行动模式。后者往往与社会投资国家和社会民主有关，前者的公共开支集中于促进增长的活动，后者意味着高税收。这些不仅仅是政府的政策选择，而是取决于特定制度配置的嵌入式政策取向。政府的形式以及战略思维和资源重新分配的能力也很重要。苏格兰的一些声音主张采取市场主导的独立战略或最大限度地下放权力。然而，公众和政治舆论是强烈的社会民主主义。先前的研究表明，苏格兰具有协调一致的政策模式的一些特征，但缺乏其他特征。因此，任何一种模式都意味着机构和政策模式的变化。另一种选择是在联合王国其他地区的影子政策。研究的目的不是要表明哪种模式在规范意义上是最好的，而是要探索每种模式的制度基础和影响，并研究苏格兰可能适用于苏格兰的情况。将选择一些比较案例，其中一些是独立国家，另一些是自治区。要审查的主要特征包括共同的身份;长期共识;社会伙伴关系;劳动力市场监管和工资;战略状态;以及要素之间的紧张关系。其他材料将来自ESRC资助的关于利益集团地域化的项目，目前正在完成。时间尺度限制了原创性研究的范围，但确实允许进行系统的比较。该项目将以二手文献为基础，辅以实地访问和与学术界同仁和决策者的讨论。重点是从早期阶段就传播调查结果。将举办两次研讨会，提供简短、方便用户的论文。首先，将邀请学术界同仁介绍比较国案例的主要特点，供讨论。在第二次会议上，将向政治和民间社会的利益攸关方介绍项目结果，为辩论提供信息，并激发他们对宪政发展对内部体制变革的影响作出反应。这些研讨会的结论摘要将张贴在ScotHub网站上。简短的简报文件将在研究的每个阶段张贴在网上。我们会为公务员及其他有关人士举办简介会。将与媒体保持联系，并定期发布新闻稿。第一次研讨会的会议记录将作修订，以供编辑成一本学术著作。项目的总体结果将在一份方便读者的出版物中摘要介绍。该项目将从2013年1月1日起持续一年，并应导致对政策制度适应宪法变革进行更深入的比较研究。

The constitutional debate in Scotland is focused on three options: independence; devolution-max; and incremental under the new Scotland Act. From a legal point of view, these are distinct, but regarded as forms of self-government, they are points on a single spectrum. They are even converging, as the independence proposals envisage a monetary union and common institutions, while the Scotland Act provides for incremental increases in powers. This reflects a modern world, in which sovereign independence has been attenuated and polities are interdependent. Lessons can be drawn from other small jurisdictions.It might be argued that external pressures are so strong that small autonomous units have little scope for manoeuvre over taxation, spending and welfare. Yet they have responded in different ways to external pressures. Two ideal types are the market-led strategy based on low taxes, deregulation and fluctuating wages and spending levels; and the concerted-action model based on social partnership and negotiation. The latter is often associated with the social investment state, in which public expenditure is focused on growth-inducing activities, and social democracy, which implies high levels of taxation. These are not merely policy choices taken by governments of the day, but embedded policy orientations, dependent on a particular institutional configurations. The shape of government, and a capacity for strategic thinking and reallocation of resources, is also important. Some voices in Scotland argue for a market-led strategy for independence or devolution-max. Yet public and political opinion are strongly social democratic. Previous research has shown that Scotland has some of the characteristics of a concerted policy mode but lacks others. Either mode would thus imply changes in institutions and policy modes. The alternative would be to shadow policy in the rest of the United Kingdom.The aim of the research is not to show which model is best in a normative sense, but to explore the institutional foundations and implications of each and examine what Scotland might be adaptable to the Scottish case. There will be a selection of comparator cases, some of which are independent states and others autonomous regions. Key features to be examined include shared identities; long-term consensus; social partnership; labour market regulation and wages; the strategic state; and tensions among the elements. Additional material will come from the ESRC-funded project on the territorialization of interest groups, currently finishing. The time-scale constrains the scope for original original research but does allow for systematic comparison. The project will be based on secondary literature, supplemented with field visits and discussions with academic colleagues and policy makers. There is an emphasis on dissemination of the findings from an early stage. There will be two seminars, with short, user-friendly papers. For the first, academic colleagues will be invited to present key features of the comparator cases, for discussion. At the second, project findings will be presented to stakeholders in politics and civil society, to inform the debate and to stimulate a response on their part to the implications for internal institutional change of constitutional development. Summaries of the conclusions of these seminars will be posted on the web site ScotHub. Short briefing papers will be posted on line at each stage of the research. Briefings will be given to civil servants and other interested parties. Contact will be maintained with the media and press releases will be put out regularly. The proceedings of the first seminar will be revised for an academic edited book. The overall project findings will be summarized in a practitioner-friendly publication. The project will run for a year from 1 January 2013 and should lead into a more in-depth comparative study of the adaptation of policy systems to constitutional change.