Comparing and contrasting the United States with the United Kingdom has long been a popular pastime. In 1922 GK Chesterton published his hugely entertaining account, What I Saw In America, following his year-long jaunt around the States.

Despite our similarities, Chesterton said that being in America felt “far more foreign than France or even Ireland”. Following in his footsteps, I made my own voyage of discovery to America earlier this year to see for myself.

Whether it is literature in the case of Chesterton, or politics in my case, the draw of America looms large. With national elections taking place in both the US and UK this year for the first time since 1992, this seemed like a particularly good moment to head across the pond.