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The Question of the Question: the Semantics of Sovereignty in the Scottish and Quebec Referenda ballot-box questions
SABRINA SOTIRIU
SCHOOL OF POLITICAL STUDIES, UOTTAWA
Case Studies
WHAT? WHY?
Do referendum Qs matter? If so how, and why? And who establishes their validity, clarity, intelligibility, and wording?
Recent literature claims that indyref Qs are not important in affecting outcomes (Rocher & Lecours, 2018; Verrelli & Cruickshank, 2014; Yale & Durand, 2011; Keating 2005)
Semantics of Sovereignty: “hard” independence no longer the norm in our globalized societies, but instead sovereignty demanded in industrialized Western democracies is always the “lite” version (in partnership/association with their home/former state), acc to Keating (2005), and other scholars
RQ: What was the impact of the ballot-box question wording on the meaning of independence in the 2 independence referenda?
Thesis: A shorter and simpler Q would produce less debate on the semantics of sovereignty.
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Research Methods, Analysis etc
Discourse Analysis, qualitative, of speeches by both sides in both referenda, available both offline and online, via governmental sites, hansards, or archives.
Speeches only by prominent figures of each side, not necessary the official campaign leaders. Thus in Quebec: Jacques Parizeau, Lucien Bouchard, Mario Dumont, Preston Manning, Jean Chretien, Daniel Johnson.
In Scotland: Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon, Alistair Carmichael, Danny Alexander.
Timeline: approx. 1.5-2 years in each case of available speeches (1994-1995 & 2012-2014).
Common discursive frames came out of grouping themes/elements that came out in speeches re: Qs, sovereignty, independence and so on.
Results grouped into these discursive frames, on independence-lite; change v. continuity; reactivity v. empowerment
Empirical Comparisons
Quebec 1995
Question decided by the PQ provincial government unilaterally, with no oversight; and released approx. 6 weeks before voting day.
Contained preamble, reference to Legislative Bill passed in National Assembly, and mentioned sovereignty-
association, and asked for mandate to negotiate from the voters.
Scotland 2014
SNP Government had their initial Question evaluated and tested by the UK Electoral Commission, which made it more neutral; end result was agreed upon and publicized 18 months before voting day.
Final version, 6 words: Should Scotland be an independent country?
Disagreements during testing arose over the use of state v. country, independence v. sovereignty
Discursive Frames Breakdown
Independence-lite: sovereignty association in Quebec versus breaking up 1 union out of 6 in Scotland and UK.
Change v. Continuity: statehood promoted with as few disruptions as possible, emphasis on continuity, in both cases (currency union, free flow of goods, currency, and people etc).
Reactivity v. Empowerment: fruitful discursive frame, as suspected; systemic dissatisfaction in both cases; reactive against English Canada, respectively Westminster; empowerment highly prevalent in most discourses in both Quebec and Scotland.
Semantics of Sovereignty, whatever the yes-sides operationalizes it to be, unrelated to the questions
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Conclusions
Discursively, a convoluted question does invite debate over its form and clarity;
Clarity of meaning and questions is a political golden egg in the rhetorical tennis match between the yes and no sides;
Debate over the semantics of sovereignty still takes place, indifferent of the clarity of the question (e.g. Scottish union-typology);
Universal clarity is difficult to achieve societally, and ambiguity seems to help the yes-sides, given the Quebec case in 1995;
Independence versus sovereignty association not the main focus of debate, policies took up substantially more time over the course of both campaigns