Scottish Election Study Annual Lecture

The School of Social and Political Science is one of the leading schools of social science in the UK, our success reflects excellence across teaching, research and impact.Our member subjects include Politics and International Relations, Social Anthropology, Social Policy, Social Work, Sociology and Science, Technology & Innovation Studies. We also host a number of centres and institutes.We have over 1000 UG students, over 500 PGT students, and over 300 PGR students currently on our programmes of study. We provide an outstanding educational environment and support the highest quality research. In REF 2014, 77% of our research performance was categorised as 4* or 3*.Our academic staff profile is cross-disciplinary, with a strong and growing international orientation. Building upon established strengths in International Development, we are centrally involved in the University's Global Development Academy, and work closely with the Global Justice Academy, the Global Health Academy and the Global Environment & Society Academy.The Dean and Head of School is Professor John Devaney.

School of Social and Political Science

Losers' Consent and Sovereignty Referendums: Potential Referendums on Irish Unification  with Professor John Garry

Usha Kasera Lecture Theatre (Old College), The University of Edinburgh

Join us for the Scottish Election Study Annual Lecture with Professor John GarryLosers' Consent and Sovereignty Referendums: Potential Referendums on Irish UnificationPeaceful transitions in power, after elections or referendums, depend upon the acceptance of the results of the counts by those who have lost—a phenomenon known as ‘losers’ consent’.Achieving losers’ consent is arguably most acute in contested sovereignty referendums. A public opinion strategy is required by those who advocate changing the sovereign status of a territory and who are subject to three constraints: (i) their wish to maximise losers’ consent, (ii) their need to retain their support base, and (iii) their need to persuade undecided voters. The strategy involves generating, based on findings from specially designed studies of public opinion, an optimised version of the alternative to the status quo—and advocating that version before the referendum. This lecture will illustrate this strategy using the example of potential referendums on Irish unification, a ‘typical’ case because it poses the core challenges—on timing and content—addressed by our strategy. The implications of this discussion for potential independence referendums in Scotland and Wales, and for our understanding of the 'Brexit' referendum, are discussed.Speaker bio:John Garry is Professor of Political Behaviour, and Director of the Democracy Unit, at Queen's University Belfast.

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Scottish Election Study Annual Lecture

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Scottish Election Study Annual Lecture

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