5. Explaining the Brexit Vote: A Socioeconomic and Psychological Exploration of the Referendum Vote

Abstract

The proposed book chapter will bring together regional economics and psychological perspectives in relation to Brexit, one year on from Article 50. Extending previous work (Becker, Fetzer, & Novy, 2017; Goodwin and Heath, 2016, Semmens-Wheeler & Hill, 2018) the chapter will exploit regional variations in the Brexit vote to model how well different demographic, socio-economic and other decision-making indicators predict the vote’s outcome by area. Using statistical techniques commonly employed in the literature in both economics and psychology, a focus will be on regional economics, including the role of income/economy vs demography in the vote and psychological perspectives, including the role of empathy and interpersonal reactivity, social dominance orientation, collective self-esteem and modern racial prejudice, among other factors. Drawing on the broader literature, the chapter will consider the potential economic and psychological factors lying behind the results, suggesting possible reasons for regional/demographic variations and areas where further research might be required. An investigation of the literature will discuss developments in these areas to date, as well as provide an overview of research focusing on public perceptions and prospects going forward. This cross-disciplinary chapter will continue to contribute to the growing picture forming around UK’s decision to leave the EU, one year on from Article 50, while providing an insight into the important economic and psychological processes behind Brexit.