‘The UK's strength is that everybody's in’: Scottish-American Reactions to the 2014 Independence Referendum

Abstract

To explore US perspectives on the 2014 Independence Referendum, we assessed media coverage of the campaign and newspaper editorials, pairing these commentaries with interviews of Scottish-Americans conducted in the month immediately following the vote. Many in the United States perceived the referendum to be a model of participatory democracy, and recognized the complex issues that faced Scottish voters. In common with those in Scotland, economic concerns were primary, but added to these was an assessment of the USA's military relationship with the UK. We conclude by suggesting that American awareness of current Scottish politics was enhanced by the referendum campaign and discussions of it within the diaspora community.