ABSTRACT
In political terms, devolution in Scotland and Wales has been perceived as contributing to a greater assertion of territorial identity, confidence, and nationhood (McCrone 1994), and the promotion of greater distinctiveness (Bond et al. 2003). It has enabled the transformation of established territorial administrations into a new territorial politics (Jeffery 2007). It is part of a European-wide trend of reforming government to accommodate national and cultural diversities; to respond to pressures for democratisation; and to adapt to changing functional economic and social needs (Keating 2006). Devolution also has important implications with respect to promoting new forms of public policy design and implementation (Mooney and Williams 2006). In practice, devolution has been implemented differentially across Scotland and Wales.This is a reflection of specific regional, political, economic, and institutional conditions and capacities (Allmendinger et al. 2005). In these circumstances, history and experience may combine to inform different kinds of regional experimentation.
