"In 1997 devolution in Scotland and Wales finally received public approval and, in the following year, the Government of Wales Act 1998 and the Scotland Act 1998 were approved by parliament." "This comprehensive study examines a wide range of issues arising from devolution's phoenix-like rebirth from the ashes of the unsuccessful campaign of 1979. It discusses the role of referendums, suggests the reasons for the shift in public opinion between 1979 and 1997, and looks at the differing degrees and implications of devolution in Scotland and Wales against the background of the distinctive and common features of their historical development and contemporary civil society."--BOOK JACKET.