When Britons go to the polls on June 23, they will have the opportunity to jettison their country's membership in the European Union -- an outcome popularly known as Brexit.
But the ballot won't say anything about what should replace E.U. membership. That will be up to negotiators -- representing Britain on one side and the governments of the 27 other E.U. member nations on the other -- who will spend the next two years hammering out the terms of divorce if Britain votes to leave.
Pro-Brexit campaigners have said that Britain will continue to swap goods and services with E.U. nations; those imports and exports now make up about half the country's trade volume. Brexit advocates also say that Britain will be free from stultifying Brussels bureaucracy once it leaves the E.U.
But how will that actually work? And what are the chances that Britain's post-Brexit reality will match the rhetoric of those advocating for "out"? Those arguing for "in" say Brexit would be a leap in the dark, with leading economists warning of dire consequences.
