ABSTRACT
This chapter explains academic descriptions of the Scottish policy style, as a broad way to describe the ways in which the Scottish Government makes and implements policy in a new territorial policy community, and the Scottish approach to policymaking (SATP), as the specific way in which the Scottish Government describes its approach. An early version of the Scottish approach developed before 2007. The chapter compares two main explanations for the development of a new policymaking culture in Scotland, does it reflect the impact of political reforms and/or more practical reasons, such as the size and scale of the Scottish Government and its responsibilities. It focuses on policy theory and examines the extent to which this approach is distinctly Scottish or consistent with the expectations that we would have for any government. It also uses these points to consider the likely effect of future constitutional changes such as further devolution in 2015.
