William Tucker assays Rael Jean Isaac and Virginia Armat’s Madness in the Streets and Ann Braden Johnson’s

Finally, Britain spends a higher proportion of its GDP on defense than any other European nation (except Greece), partly as a legacy of its former status as a great power, partly because of its retention of the nuclear deterrent. If the present wave of reform in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union is consolidated, defense spending will be cut across Europe. A country with an above-average level of defense spending should benefit disproportionately.

In summary, there is a good chance that by the mid 1990s the share of GDP given to public spending in Britain will have been lowered to 35 per cent; it certainly will remain under 40 per cent. Meanwhile, all the rest of Europe will be stuck at over 45 per cent, and some countries will be in the 55 to 60 per cent band. As far as this key economic characteristic is concerned, Britain will be an outlier in European comparisons. The Thatcher years will have clearly differentiated Britain from its neighbors.

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Finally, Britain spends a higher proportion of its GDP on defense than any other European nation (except Greece), partly as a legacy of its former status as a great power, partly because of its retention of the nuclear deterrent. If the present wave of reform in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union is consolidated, defense spending will be cut across Europe. A country with an above-average level of defense spending should benefit disproportionately.

In summary, there is a good chance that by the mid 1990s the share of GDP given to public spending in Britain will have been lowered to 35 per cent; it certainly will remain under 40 per cent. Meanwhile, all the rest of Europe will be stuck at over 45 per cent, and some countries will be in the 55 to 60 per cent band. As far as this key economic characteristic is concerned, Britain will be an outlier in European comparisons. The Thatcher years will have clearly differentiated Britain from its neighbors.