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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.
