In June of 2016, the citizens of the United Kingdom (UK) voted in favor of leaving the European Union (EU). The decision to leave is now commonly referred to as "Brexit." Briefly summarize both the arguments used for the UK remaining in the EU and the arguments used for the UK leaving the EU.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

POSSIBLE RESPONSE: The campaign to remain in the EU stressed the economic benefits to the UK, including the net benefits of additional trade created with other EU countries, immigration of people from other EU countries, and the dominance of London as Europe's financial center. One estimate of the UK's net benefits put them at 10 percent of the UK gross domestic product. Proponents of staying argued that remaining a member makes selling things to other EU countries easier. An estimated 44 percent of UK exports are to EU countries, and another 16 percent are to countries that have free-trade agreements with the EU. The proponents also argued that the UK is a relatively small player in the world market with only four percent of world production. The UK gains by being part of the much larger EU. Those in favor of staying also believed that the free flow of immigrants from other EU members, most of whom are young and motivated to work, fuels economic growth, and the taxes they pay helps pay for public services. They also argued that the UK's status in the world would be damaged by leaving and that the nation was more secure as part of the 28-member EU. 

The proponents of leaving the EU stressed that the UK needed to leave to regain the ability to set its own economic policies. Proponents believed the UK was being held back by the EU, which they said imposed too many rules on business and charged billions of pounds a year in membership fees for little return. The UK is one of ten member states that pay more into the EU budget than they get out of it. Only France and Germany contribute more than the UK. 

Proponents of leaving claimed that the UK would be able to keep and use the large amount of money that it contributes to the EU budget. For some voters, voting to leave was, in a sense, a protest vote against elite politicians who were out of touch with the financial challenges of regular Britons. One of the top reasons proponents of leaving stressed was the desire to control and reduce immigration. One of the main principles of EU membership is "free movement," which means that citizens of member nations don't need a visa to visit or live in another EU country. In 2015 net immigration increased to 333,000 people. The UK and other EU countries have recently faced crises associated with large inflows of refugees and several terrorist attacks perpetrated by foreigners. A broader argument in favor of leaving was to reestablish the sovereignty of the British government over laws and activities in the UK. Proponents of leaving want the UK to make all of its own laws again, rather than making laws through the process of shared decision-making with other EU nations. Ultimately, the leave campaign objected to the idea of an "ever-closer union" between EU member states and what they see as moves toward the creation of a "United States of Europe."