What’s the deal with Britain? I will not pretend to be an expert on the British economy or the country’s politics. I’m more of an interested observer who takes advantage of a shared language to see how another large advanced economy is faring. In some ways the United Kingdom is distinctive, in other ways, it’s experiencing trends that are quite similar to those being experienced in the United States and other wealthy democracies. This will be less a unified essay than a series of observations. I always ask for feedback and comments, but now more than ever I would appreciate any notes, corrections, or addenda either in the comments or at matthew.zeitlin@gmail.com