Open economy politics and Brexit: insights, puzzles, and ways forward

What is it about?

How can we explain the Brexit vote and aftermath, what insights does existing research in the "Open Economy Politics "-tradition offer, and which puzzles need more research? This paper briefly summarizes the "Open Economy Politics (OEP)" approach, discusses the insights it offers and puzzles that persist from its perspective for understanding Brexit, and sketches out fruitful avenues for future research.

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Why is it important?

The paper not only helps us to better understand Brexit, what is so unique – and not so unusual – about it. It also offers a starting point for scholars interested in advancing research in international political economy by identifying the state of the art and promising directions in which to push new research. In empirical terms, the paper also presents original survey data on voter expectations and views about Brexit.