LONDON — The New York Times has been reporting for the last year on how nearly a decade of government austerity has refashioned British society, slashing away at budgets for policing, housing and welfare. It has also drawn a backlash in some quarters and, as Ellen Barry writes in the latest article in the series, reshaped the politics of many young people.

Prime Minister Theresa May said last fall that the era of austerity is over. That is a matter of debate. And Britain’s looming departure from the European Union — Brexit, as it is known — could depress growth for years to come, meaning that budget pressures may continue far into the future. Here is a look back at the roots of austerity and what we know about its effects.

What is austerity?

It’s a campaign of budget cutting that Britain’s Conservative-led government began in 2010 in the aftermath of the global financial panic of 2008, the most crippling economic downturn since the Great Depression.

The National Health Service and education were ostensibly protected, but government spending was trimmed across the rest of society: Spending was cut for the police, road maintenance, libraries, courts, prisons and housing assistance for seniors. Local governments suffered a plunge in revenue.