The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal order is a must read to get the full historical context of the competing perspectives on the utility of liberal ideals in guiding political economy goals over the last century. In such fractured times it is important to understand why certain political ideas have emerged as well as the background that led to the confidence that such ideas were solutions to relevant problems. As things have changed so dramatically since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal order is a much needed refresher on why liberalism became such a prevalent hammer to all problems and why in the aftermath of the depression the same ideas were dismissed.
The author starts with the social contract reconstruction that took place during the depression and through the post WWII period up until the Reagan presidency. The world was witnessing the consequences of monetary market failures and the lack of ability of labor markets to naturally clear when aggregate demand was low. The policy makers of the time moved decisively away from the social darwinism/ free market capitalism policy ideas, especially with the growth of interest in socialism by large portions of the labor force and there was increasingly popular support for social programs that created safety nets for the population. With the rollout of FDR New Deal in response to the Depression, there was a tailwind of a more cooperative social contract that was being promoted. This continued in the aftermath of the war which saw the sacrifice of the many and the strength of the US economy relatively led to a strong sense of achievement within the country that continued to propel New Deal like logic in the countries overall political economy calculations. The peak of this over reliance on the new deal type political economy was likely around the Vietnam War and the subsequent burdens of running such a model as the US economic model started to lose its industrial competitiveness with resurgent Western Europe and Japan. The loss in Vietnam and the stagflationary 70's led to much self doubt about the New Deal order and competing ideas started to surface to a more open audience.
As the US started to realize its relative decline its internal politics started to listen more to neo-liberal/libertarian ideas with the likes of Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman. It had a champion in Ronald Reagan and from the 80s the US incrementally started to dismantle its New Deal order and embrace a more libertarian economic model where the state was the source of all inefficiency. This was not coupled to lowering deficits of course but the starve the beast type attitude took hold and the country enacted more policies for the benefits of corporations as the political winds changed and the benefits of globalization became more embraced. Overall from an economic pie the US was a beneficiary of this trend but the consequences to inequality started to be felt as early as the 90s. The author spends time on how the democrats embraced neo-liberalism under Clinton and thus both parties became advocates of the benefits of expansive corporate rights at the expense of labor. This of course eventually backfired substantially with the growth of Trumpism in the aftermath of the GFC. Thus the author takes the reader on a full tour of the intellectual cyclicality that led to the growth and decline of the welfare state and the decline and growth of the neoliberal order.
There are no uniform solutions to solving the problem of allocating scare resources. Each concept of a political economy has so implicit preferences it is using to determine the solution to such a problem and some systems ending up being more equal in allocation yet more inefficient in productivity growth, others focus on the latter at the expense of the former. The benefits and deficiencies of any system are contextual and the Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal order is an excellent overview of the benefits and deficiencies of the system as times have changed. The author does not focus on what the new order should be or what it is expected to look like, it is much more a work of reflection. It is very much worth reading to understand how we got here and the legacies behind the debates.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Discover the latest buzz-worthy books, from mysteries and romance to humor and nonfiction. Explore more
Great on Kindle
Great Experience. Great Value.
Putting our best book forward
Each Great on Kindle book offers a great reading experience, at a better value than print to keep your wallet happy.
Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.
View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.
Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.
Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.
Get the free Kindle app: 
Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.
Frequently bought together
This item: The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order: America and the World in the Free Market Era
$17.36
In Stock
+
$15.98
In Stock
+
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
- Liberty and Coercion: The Paradox of American Government from the Founding to the PresentPaperback$14.48 shippingGet it as soon as Monday, Jun 16Only 2 left in stock - order soon.
From the Publisher
About the author
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2023
- Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2024
- Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2024
Top reviews from other countries
- Kindleのお客様Reviewed in Japan on March 7, 2024
Conclusion is not clear, but good work.
- Roel Van RijnbachReviewed in the Netherlands on January 8, 2024
Now I understand better my own past and the elections of 2024
- M ClarkReviewed in Germany on April 1, 2023
A comprehensive history and analysis of the Neoliberal Order
