Is there something untouchable about ‘the national question’ in regionalized states? This paper looks at how political parties compete over the protection of regional interests as an electoral issue in Flanders, Quebec, and Scotland. Based on survey data from these three regions, the paper hopes to use theories of party competition with those of issue ownership to look at not only how political parties compete with one another, but also how these parties’ ownership of issues are perceived by voters. More specifically, particular emphasis will be placed on the question of whether mainstream parties are able to successfully lay claim to a niche issue such as the protection of regional interests. Do regionalist parties such as the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie, Parti Québécois, Bloc Québécois, and Scottish National Party have a firm grasp on their respective regions’ ‘national question’? Does coming into power in a regional legislature cement this grasp?
