Love it or Leave it: Why the U.K.'s Brexit Vote Should Matter to Americans
June 23, 2016
English: A map showing European membership of the EU and NATO. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By Terrence Guay
On June 23, citizens of the United Kingdom will go to the polls to vote on whether their country will remain a member of the European Union. While the outcome will have the greatest impact on residents of Europe, it will also affect the U.S. as well.
And with the latest polls putting the "leave" campaign ahead of those for remaining in the EU, it's essential that Americans understand just what's at stake if a "Brexit" were to occur – and why we're having this debate in the first place.
As a scholar of international business who views European integration as a successful, albeit messy, experiment in peace-building, I appreciate the frustration many in the U.K. have with the way the EU sometimes operates. But is that enough to justify leaving it?