dramatic
“It seems unlikely that the next parliament will see the end of the United Kingdom. Yet before the 2010 election it looked improbable that Britain would be as far down the road to fragmentation as it is now. The past five years have shown that momentum can overcome tradition. If the next five are even half as dramatic, the kingdom will be in serious trouble.”
1 the meaning of "momentum"?
2what does the "half as dramatic "mean?
Pulling at the seams
http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21647799-united-kingdom-far-less-united-now-it-was-2010-it-could-unravel
via Instapaper

Question

Answer

1. The momentum of something is how much it wants to keep going in the direction it is going. A rolling football can be easily stopped. A rolling car cannot be easily stopped. The car has much momentum.

2. Half as dramatic. It suggests that the last 5 years has been extremely dramatic. The next five years could be a lot less dramatic, but even so, significant change could occur.