Mapping Scottish and Welsh Parliamentarians' Attitudes to European Integration, 2001

<P>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</P><br>The principal aim of the research was to test and further refine the hypothesis that the divisions so apparent on Europe, especially <i>within</i> British political parties, are most pronounced along fault lines defined by disagreements over the importance of either maintaining national sovereignty, or of embracing an increasing interdependence with our European partners. The researchers wanted to examine if such a hypothesis would hold for the newly created 'subnational' institutions in Scotland and Wales with nationalist parties putatively positively bubbling with enthusiasm for European integration. Indeed, the received wisdom is one of both nations having a greater enthusiasm for Europe than that found at Westminster. Thus, such an enquiry would contribute to knowledge and understanding of the ideological configuration of Welsh and Scottish Parliamentarians over the European issue and further add to existing empirical data and knowledge on attitudes of Westminster parliamentarians.<br><br><B>Main Topics</B>:<BR><br>Each case in the data file is either a Scottish Member of Parliament (MSP) or a member of the National Assembly of Wales (AM). The file includes their responses to the questions on European Integration from a postal questionnaire. Topics covered include attitudes to the European Union and single European currency, political system preferences, sovereignty, representation of country's interests, funding, social issues and costs, taxation, legislation, defence, agriculture and devolved government.<br>
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Standard Measures<br>
Likert scales were used.

<P>本数据集的摘要版权归英国数据服务中心（UK Data Service）及数据集收藏方所有。</P><br>本研究的核心目标为检验并进一步完善下述假说：欧洲地区（尤其是英国政党内部）凸显的政治分歧，多集中于以两大核心立场分歧为分界的断层线——一方强调维护国家主权的重要性，另一方则支持与欧洲伙伴不断深化相互依存关系。研究团队希望验证该假说是否适用于苏格兰与威尔士新近设立的次国家（subnational）机构，上述地区的民族主义政党普遍对欧洲一体化抱有高涨热忱。学界普遍共识认为，相较于威斯敏斯特议会，苏格兰与威尔士两地对欧洲一体化的支持度更高。因此，本研究将有助于深化对威尔士与苏格兰议员在欧洲议题上意识形态取向的认知，并进一步补充现有关于威斯敏斯特议员欧洲议题态度的实证数据与研究成果。<br><br><B>核心研究主题</B>:<BR><br>数据文件中的每一条记录均对应一名苏格兰议会议员（Member of Scottish Parliament, MSP）或威尔士国民议会议员（Assembly Member, AM）。本数据集收录了受访者针对欧洲一体化相关邮政调查问卷的全部答复，涵盖议题包括：对欧洲联盟（European Union）及单一欧洲货币的态度、政治制度偏好、主权问题、国家利益代表、财政拨款、社会议题与相关成本、税收政策、立法工作、国防、农业以及权力下放政府。<br><br>标准化测量工具<br>本研究采用李克特（Likert）量表作为测量工具。