There goes the neighbourhood?: The 'Americanisation' of elections, with evidence from Scotland's Parliament

Observers of elections in European democracies increasingly encounter the assertion that campaigns and candidacies have become poisoned by a creeping 'Americanisation'. When a comedian in Denmark, a professional wrestler in Finland, or a porn star in Italy enjoys electoral success by appealing to least-common-denominator populism the lament coming from academic and journalistic quarters is typically the same-the US style of politics has, unfortunately, arrived. The literature supporting such pejorative claims is, however, largely anecdotal, usually atheoretical, and almost exclusively directed at national-level elections. Building upon theories of diffusion at the intersection of comparative politics and international relations-and drawing upon individual-level survey data from elections to the Scottish Parliament-this article evaluates the merits and consequences of the Americanisation thesis. Results suggest the importance of uncertainty as a force driving candidates and parties to learn from and adopt 'American' campaign strategies and tactics.