The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living since the Civil War, by Robert J.Gordon. 2016. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. 762 + xii. ISBN 978‐0‐691‐14772‐7, $30.95 (hardcover).

Abstract

Devolution in the United Kingdom (UK) is at its most developed stage ever. From the advent of Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish devolution processes in 1997, the steady march of more autonomy has continued. Devolution in the UK is not symmetric, either between or within the nations and regions of the UK. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own devolved legislatures; England does not. Scotland has far greater powers than the legislatures in Wales and Northern Ireland, reflecting seemingly different appetites for devolution. At the same time, the growth and development of city-deals tied to the creation of new “metro-mayors” in some parts of England will see much more local control than others. Now is a good time to reflect on this process, and to consider the nature and impact of devolution in the UK and its economy.