This chapter introduces the significance of devolution in the UK. Section one briefly outlines the historical background of the UK state, the nations that have composed it as a territorial union, and previous debates about self-government and devolution. The focus of book is on organising perspectives for understanding devolution as a whole. Section two summarizes and appraises what can be understood as a range of constitutional schools of analysis, and a set of conventional wisdoms. These are: first, the relative empowerment of the identity politics of the UK's stateless nations which made devolution essential; second, the perceived inadequacy of the subsequent devolution settlements viewed from Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish and English perspectives; and third, the perceived failure of UK governments to properly address the territorial reform of the state, intergovernmental relations, and the management of devolution. Section three subjects the assumptions inherent in constitutional approaches to critical appraisal and lays the basis for a fresh approach. It argues that the common characteristic of dominant constitutional perspectives is that they have privileged the importance of ideas in the study of politics and have neglected the role of interests and constraints. This has produced disputed analyses between writers who have different ideal starting points, and accounts of what happened that are either limited in coverage or appreciation of what was possible. In considering alternative approaches to study, a case is made for pursuing a realist approach that focuses instead on the power politics underpinning the advent and early implementation of devolution.
