Constituency Representation, Devolution and Additional Member Systems

Reporting research findings on key political issues, this new book examines the introduction of devolution and additional member electoral systems (AMS) in the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, namely local constituency representation. It examines the constituency roles of members of the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, the impact on the constituency roles of Westminster MPs, and the relationships between MPs and devolved members. These are matters of significant interest given the strong tradition of the constituency role in British political representation, and the tensions seen amongst the political classes over this issue since devolution in 1999. This study places the Scottish and Welsh experience into comparative context by examining constituency representation in countries where political decentralisation and/or the usage of AMS are also in operation. Canada has a highly decentralised system of government, and is currently considering electoral reform, particularly AMS. Germany offers a key model of a decentralised state in which AMS is used at both levels of government.
New Zealand offers a case where AMS has been introduced for a national parliament that draws on Westminster traditions and has often been compared with that of Scotland. These papers will be of great interest to anyone concerned with how parliamentarians represent electors in democratic systems of government.