The role of national identity in determining proposals for devolution in the United Kingdom
This article examines national identity in the three sub-state units of the United Kingdom which were granted devolved powers in 1998 (Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland). This 
article argues that national identity provides a compelling explanation for why powers were devolved asymmetrically, as compared to federal states where powers are generally uniform at the sub-state level.
The multifaceted constitutional dynamics of U.K. devolution
When it was introduced in 1999, devolution for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland was recognized as a constitutional change of pivotal importance. This article argues that devolution has been a dynamic process which has triggered further important constitutional changes. The first section provides a conceptual discussion of devolution by comparing it with federalism as a system of territorial government. In order to further develop the argument, attention is then concentrated on the evolving characteristics of the respective systems in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Particular attention is devoted to crucial issues of constitutional design. For example, this includes the failure to establish a link between revenue raising and spending in Scotland; the creation of a Welsh Assembly without sufficient law-making powers; the debate over the functions granted to the Northern Ireland executive. Next the discussion turns to the so called West Lothian question which draws attention to the most pronounced asymmetry caused by devolution, namely, the implications of not having an equivalent level of devolved government for England. Finally, the discussion examines the impact of devolution on legislative procedures and the use of legislative consent motions. The article concludes by considering the trajectory of the changes to each devolved system and related constitutional implications.
Same Same But Different - also in Europe! A New Methodological Approach in Cross-Country Analysis of Communication Structuresapplied to five EU member states
The EU still lacks a truly European public sphere. On this level, there is still a clear lack of integration between individual member states. This means that national public spheres and cultures are still of great importance for European communication and media professionals. Comparative research into the similarities and differences between different nations is therefore valuable for cross-border PR communication activities. This paper lays out the methodological foundation for such research, discussing possible approaches and difficulties associated with comparative research. The author then introduces a potential heuristic framework for comparative analysis: the International Corporate Communication Compass. This framework is applied to five case-study EU countries (Denmark, Germany, France, Poland and the UK), showing the differences and similarities in a range of different contexts that affect public communication in all its forms. The conclusion examines how the results of such studies could be used in order to compare communication identities of different countries. This can potentially help in the development of a European public identity on the long run and in a first step can led towards a better, more adapted communication structure about European citizenship. Ultimately, communication structures within the EU might become more Europeanized than they