The Rise and Fall of Neoliberalism

In bringing together the work of distinguished scholars and dedicated activists to question neoliberal hegemony, the book exposes the often fractured and multifarious manifestations of neoliberalism which will have to be challenged to bring about meaningful social change.

What People Have Said About the Book

‘Since the 1970s, the politics of “neoliberalism,” based on the purported concern to minimize state interference in the economy and thus to unleash “free” markets, have been mobilized at various sites and scales across the world economy. This book provides useful intellectual tools for deciphering the ideological, social and institutional foundations of neoliberalism and its wide-ranging implications for the still ongoing regulatory reorganization of capitalism.’
– Neil Brenner, Professor of Sociology, New York University

‘This is an outstanding book not only because of the sophisticated critiques offered by some of the most highly regarded thinkers on the topic of the destruction and misery wrought through neoliberal capitalism, but also because its forward looking emphasis on a more egalitarian and hopeful future offers insights about the work that needs to be done by activists and scholars alike. Moreover, this book helps us recognize that the emergence of any talk of a post-neoliberal era is premature beyond helping to construct a road map for ways citizens of the world can collectively, and deliberately, move forward.’
– Nik Heynen, Associate Professor of Geography, University of Georgia

‘This timely and wide ranging book traces the changing contours of neoliberalism, demonstrating how market-oriented policies gave rise to a globally hegemonic political-economic project. The emphasis is on identifying the different forms neoliberalism takes and the diverse responses to it. At a juncture when this political-economic project is under increasing scrutiny from supporters and opponents alike, the book challenges existing conceptions of neoliberalism and makes an important contribution to the reinvigorated search for political alternatives.’
– Wendy Larner, Professor of Human Geography and Sociology, University of Bristol

‘A timely volume on the nature, varied manifestations, and above all limitations of a an economic order that is failing so spectacularly with the financial crisis. Highly recommended for academics, students, or for that matter anyone interested in the politics of our times.’
– Magnus Ryner, Professor of International Relations, Oxford Brookes University.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: A World Turned Right-Way Up – Kean Birch and Vlad Mykhnenko

Part 1: The Rise of Neoliberalism

2. How Neoliberalism Got Where It Is: Elite Planning, Corporate Lobbying and the Release of the Free Market – David Miller
3. Making Neoliberal Order in the United States – Kean Birch and Adam Tickell
4. Neoliberalism, Intellectual Property and the Global Knowledge Economy – David Tyfield
5. Neoliberalism and the Calculable World: The Rise of Carbon Trading – Larry Lohmann
6. Tightening the Web: The World Bank and Enforced Policy Reform – Elisa van Waeyenberge
7. The Corruption Industry and Transition: Neoliberalising Post-Soviet Space? – Adam Swain, Vlad Mykhnenko and Shaun French
8. Remaking the Welfare State: From Safety Net to Trampoline – Julie MacLeavy

Part 2: The Fall of Neoliberalism

9. Zombieconomics: The Living Death of the Dismal Science – Ben Fine
10. From Hegemony to Crisis? The Continuing Ecological Dominance of Neo-Liberalism – Bob Jessop
11. Do It Yourself: A Politics for Changing Our World – Paul Chatterton
12. Dreaming the Real: A Politics of Ethical Spectacles – Paul Routledge
13. Transnational Companies and Transnational Civil Society – Leonith Hinojosa and Anthony Bebbington
14. Defeating Neo-liberalism: A Marxist Internationalist Perspective and Programme – Jean Shaoul

15. Conclusion: The End of an Economic Order? – Vlad Mykhnenko and Kean Birch