Center for European Studies

216 Anderson

Erik Jones, Johns Hopkins University SAIS

When the British people voted to leave the European Union in June 2016, they embarked on an unprecedented experiment in disintegration with their closest allies and trading partners. The goal was to allow the British parliament to take back control over the country’s borders, regulations, and decision-making procedures. Nevertheless, the process was anything but liberating. With hindsight, the peculiarities of the British situation are easily understood. The history of Northern Ireland, the oversized role of the City of London, the country’s dependence on imported foodstuffs, and Britain’s position in trans-Atlantic supply chains have all proved problematic. The question is whether the British case is exceptional or representative. The answer is more general than the British might want to believe. Despite the country’s idiosyncrasies, Britain’s exit from the European Union (or BREXIT) is indicative of just how challenging disintegration would be for any government, both politically and economically.

With funding and support from the Department of Education Title VI National Resource Center grant and the UF Department of Economics.