Advocates of Scottish devolution believed that it would usher in a new era of governance, one which would contrast starkly with the putatively antiquated centralism and adversarial politics associated with ‘Old’ Westminster practices. Electing representatives with the power to design ‘Scotland-specific’ policies was also intended to reinvigorate political participation and renew the public’s faith in institutions, helping to redress a perceived ‘democratic deficit’. The new Parliament was placed at the heart of this vision of a ‘new Scottish politics’. Since 1999, the Scottish Parliament has met some, but not all, of the public and policymakers’ original expectations. This chapter presents a critical introduction to the Scottish Parliament as a now-mature legislature, by retracing and assessing its historical and operational development.