Publication

This paper argues that the availability of regional economic resources is crucial to understanding the success and failure of democratic secessionist movements. To illustrate their point, the authors examine how oil discoveries off the Scottish coast impacted the fortunes of the secessionists in Scotland. After comparing election results in Scotland and Wales between 1945 and 2001, the authors conclude that the pro-secession Scottish National Party gained about 2% of the electoral vote each time a large oil discovery occurred.