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Neoliberalism

Neoliberalism is a complex and contested term that refers to a set of economic policies that advocate for free-market principles, deregulation, and limited government intervention in the economy. 

Learn more at the Ransford Global Institute 

Neoliberalism’ is one of these new ‘isms’. The term was first coined in postWorld War I Germany by a small circle of economists and legal scholars affiliated with the ‘Freiburg School’ to refer to their moderate programme of reviving classical liberalism. 

In the 1970s, a group of Latin American economists adopted neoliberalismo for their pro-market model. 

By early 1990s, however, left-leaning critics of market reform in the global South had imbued ‘neoliberalism’ with pejorative meanings associated with the ‘Washington Consensus’ – a set of economic institutions and policies alleged to have been designed by the United States to globalize American capitalism and its associated cultural system. 

Other critics dismissed ‘neoliberalism’ as an opaque catchphrase invented by radical academics or reactionary economic nationalists for the purpose of downgrading the intellectual achievements of neoclassical economists such as Nobel-prize winners Milton Friedman and Friedrich von Hayek. 

Still others saw it as a postmodern versionof quaint 18th-century laissez-faire talk’ glorifying individual self-interest, economic efficiency, and unbridled competition. 

In spite of these criticisms, however, neoliberalism has stuck in the public mind. Today, it appears almost daily in the headlines of the world’s major newspapers. 

But how is neoliberalism be used to help the world get better? Proponents of neoliberalism argue that it can lead to various benefits, including:

1. Economic Growth: Neoliberal policies are often associated with increased economic growth due to their focus on free markets, competition, and innovation.

2. Efficiency: Advocates argue that neoliberal policies promote efficiency by allowing market forces to allocate resources based on supply and demand.

3. Innovation: Neoliberalism can stimulate innovation by encouraging competition and entrepreneurship.

4. Consumer Choice: Neoliberal policies often lead to a wider range of goods and services for consumers to choose from.

5. Globalization: Neoliberalism is often associated with globalization, which can lead to increased trade and investment, potentially benefiting economies around the world.

Critics of neoliberalism, however, argue that it can lead to negative consequences, such as income inequality, environmental degradation, and the erosion of social welfare programs. The impact of neoliberal policies can vary depending on the context in which they are implemented.


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