conservatism the new right knowledge flashcards

The New Right splits into 2 distinct areas - Neoliberalism and Neoconservatism. The 2 juxtapose greatly; advocating for Neoliberal economic policies, however following harshly Neoconservative views on society do not sit well together, nor make sense when combined.  The New Right emerged in the 1960s and 1970s in America but its influence spread around the world. It is most associated with the governments of Reagen in the USA and Thatcher in the UK.

• It is the marriage of neoliberalism, which draws ideological inspiration from classical liberalism, and neo-conservatism, which draws its inspiration from traditional conservatism

• Although the ideas are diverse and sometimes contradictory they share an enthusiasm for free markets and an antipathy for Keynesian state planning

• Neither a neoliberal nor a neoconservative state has ever existed but the ideas remain influential for governments all over the world

Was Neoliberalism new?

Neoliberalism is the economic aspect of new right thinking but … it can be seen as a revival of classical liberal laissez-faire economics where the state plays little role in the economy and the free market is self regulating. In this way it can be seen as not revolutionary, merely a return to the past. It can be argued as revolutionary as it tore up 40-50 years of economic consensus politics based around Keynesian and managed capitalism. It introduced …

never tried before economic policies privatisation and monetarism (Friedman’s theory later taken on by Alan Walters). These policies had never been done before - and therefore their outcome was entirely based on theory. This was all very unconservative, because conservatives don’t believe in untested ideas, things based on theory and definitely not revolutions.

While neoliberals are inspired by classical liberalism, neoconservatives are more influenced by traditional conservatism and with:

• Maintaining organic society from social fragmentation
  

• Upholding public morality and authoritarian law and order

While neoliberalism is concerned with reducing the involvement of the state to preserve individual liberty, neoconservatives will increase state involvement and curtail individual freedom if they feel that it is for the good of society.

The State, Society and fear of social fragmentation: (1)

Neoconservatives, like neoliberals, celebrate capitalism as the natural economic condition. However, the free-market in itself does not provide a set of values on which to base a society. Likewise, neoconservatives have been critical of neoliberal ideas which fragment society by failing to defend core conservative values such as religion, tradition and societal responsibility.

• For neoconservatives, the unease started with the social & sexual revolution of the 1960s, which ushered in an age of moral relativism that has fragmented society ever since

• The secular rejection of religion in the West, Irving Kristol (1920-2009, the ‘godfather of neoconservatism’) has argued, depleted the moral and spiritual stock that binds society

Neoconservatives, therefore, value organic society and fundamentally reject the neoliberal vision of atomistic individualism, which has undermined core societal values. Neoconservatives, like traditional conservatives, believe religion, tradition, authority and duty are vital facets of organic society. 

The State, Society and fear of social fragmentation: (2)

Agreeing with Burke, they argue that the preservation of society is sacrosanct.

• For neoconservatives, the welfare reforms of the ‘Great Society’ in the USA and the postwar consensus in the UK created a dependency culture

• Neoconservatives share traditional conservatism’s doubts about the morality of human nature, arguing that anti-poverty programmes failed because they ignored human imperfection, and that humans are not naturally moral or hard-working

• Conversely, neoconservatives  also dismiss neoliberal ideas of simply dismantling the welfare state as utterly impractical and against the paternalism that is inherent in conservative thought. A neoconservative welfare state argues for a safety net for those who are genuinely struggling, but not handouts that erode individual responsibility

• Unlike one nation conservatives who allowed the welfare stature to grow, almost uncontrollably, neoconservatives wish to shrink it, simultaneously promoting conservative ideas of family values and hard work

The State, Society and fear of social fragmentation: (3)

Thatcher’s ‘right to buy’ council houses was a neoconservative attempt to remodel the welfare state, reduce state dependency and foster a conservative-thinking property-owning class. Similarly, in both the UK and USA, neoconservatives promote traditional family structures via taxation and means tested benefit systems. Neoconservatives argue that individuals must also take responsibility for poverty and help themselves -- the state cannot and should not …

 do everything. A recent example of this thinking was the UK’s Welfare Reform Act 2012, which was designed to wean benefit claimants off state reliance by incentivizing them to go back to work. Its architect, Iain Duncan Smith, saw this policy as a way of fixing ‘broken Britain’ and reintegrating an underclass that had become dislocated from the rest of society

Public Morality and Authoritarian Law and Order (1)

Underpinning a desire to reverse social fragmentation is a desire to uphold public morality and law and order. Neoconservatives argue that the post 1960s decline led to immorality, leading them to promote anti-permissiveness (A rejection, informed by Judaeo-Christian morality, that there is no right and wrong, which was dubbed ‘permissiveness’ by neoconservatives. Neoconservatives may …

argue that sex before marriage, homosexuality, abortion and recreational drug taking, for example, are wrong. Modern One Nation Conservatives are more accepting of homosexuality, gay marriage and abortion, and support more authoritarian policing.

Public Morality and Authoritarian Law and Order (2)

Neoconservatives are critical of neoliberal’s atomistic individualism, arguing that it has led to the rejection of communal customs and values - and so helped transform Western society into a materialistic moral vacuum that ignores the ethical rights and wrongs of Christian society. Neoconservatives, especially in the USA, are pro-religion as it counters such moral nihilism. Religion promotes humility and a responsibility for others as well as taming what American conservative politician and theorist William Bennett has described as …

 the ‘basest appetites, passions and impulses of the citizens’. This counters Rand’s idea that religion blunts rationality and infringes individual liberty. It also counters neoliberals, who argue that homosexuality, abortion and recreational drug taking should be choices for the individual and not determined by the state. For neoconservatives, these are all morally wrong and should be opposed. Thatcher and Reagan both had a neoconservative inspired ‘war’ on recreational drug use and advocated strict prison sentences as both a moral and punishment and an authoritarian deterrent. Neoconservatives therefore support a tough approach to law and order, and an extension of the state to enforce this policy

Neoliberal economic theory (1)

Thatcherite conservatism involved the revival of basic ideas of laissez-faire liberalism of the C19th. Such ideas had been revived in the early-mid 1900s by the likes of Austrian economist/thinker Friedrich von Hayek and American economist Milton Friedman - both admired by Thatcher. This new system only grew more fashionable towards the latter part of the C19th. Neoliberalism is a complex set of ideas with many dimensions, but centrally linked to the beliefs of classical liberalism in a free market, minimal state, individual liberty and responsibility. Thatcher’s governments from 1979 onwards saw virtually all its policies contribute to the encouragement of the free market, reducing the role of the state and extending individual liberty. The great benefit of the free market according to neoliberals is that it provides the most efficient and fair mechanism for allocating resources in a …

way that promotes maximum prosperity, consumer satisfaction and competition, which drives innovation and efficiency. It also is said to promote freedom of choice and opportunity, not just domestically but also globally through free trade. While economic freedom is central to neoliberalism, it is also considered the foundation of all other freedoms. Neoliberals argue that civil liberties and political freedoms cannot truly exist without economic liberty. However, they focus on ‘negative freedom’ - freedom from interference - not positive freedoms such as welfare or social support. Thus, while not limited to economics, the broader freedoms neoliberalism promotes are dependent on a free-market framework.

Neoliberal economic theory (2)

Adam Smith argues that individuals pursuing their own self-interest inadvertently promote the interests of society, guided by what he famously called the ‘invisible hand’. He believed that when people seek personal gain within a legal framework, they unintentionally contribute to the economic prosperity and well-being of society as a whole - more effectively than if they had consciously intended to do so. Neoliberalism gained strength in response to the perceived failures of Keynesianism especially in the 1970s, with rising inflation and economic stagnation. The collapse of communist regimes, the inefficiency of nationalised industries, and the economic crises of the 1970s all discredited state intervention in the eyes of neoliberals. Figures like Hayek and Friedman gained influence, and …

politicians such as Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan implemented policies inspired by these ideas, leading to a resurgence of free-market economics. The new right, including Thatcherites, viewed socialism even in its moderate, social democratic form, as a fundamental threat. They believed it undermined individual liberty, economic efficiency and national prosperity. Margaret Thatcher explicitly aimed to eliminate socialism from Britain, arguing that even the post-war consensus style politics of a managed economy and welfare state amounted to a diluted form of communism.

Neoliberal economic theory (3)

Neoliberals believe that state intervention distorts the market, reduces efficiency, and limits individual freedom. They argue that competition, innovation and efficiency are best fostered in a minimal state. The state should be confined to essential functions like law, defence and maintaining sound money. Overgrown state sectors are seen as breeding inefficiency, bureaucracy and dependency, all of which hinder economic growth and individual responsibility. Hayek contends that state planning and intervention, even with good intentions, eventually leads to authoritarianism, as the state must compel individuals to act in ways they wouldn’t freely choose. In his book “the road to serfdom”, he argues that all …

forms of socialism - including the welfare state - represent a step toward totalitarian control by limiting individual choice and freedoms. for Hayek, freedom can only flourish in a system of spontaneous order, where individuals are free to make their own economic decisions. The Adam Smith Institute makes both a structural and psychological argument: Structurally, public services lack competitive pressure. They are shielded from failure eg. bankruptcy which removes the incentive for efficiency, innovation and cost-effectiveness, unlike private firms which must meet customer needs to survive. Psychologically, (public choice theory) individuals working in public services lack the incentive to serve the public inefficiently. Politicians seek votes and officials seek status and larger budgets. Thus, services are often run for the producers benefit, not the consumers.

Neoliberal economic theory (4)

Neoliberals accept that the state's key economic role is to control inflation and maintain a stable currency. This aligns with monetarism, as promoted by Milton Friedman, which argues that inflation is primarily caused by excessive money supply, often due to government overspending and borrowing. Therefore, the state’s duty is to ensure monetary stability - not to manage the economy, invest or regulate prices and incomes. Economic freedom is the foundation of …

all other freedoms - if individuals are free to own property, trade and earn without state interference, they are truly free. Capitalism is seen as delivering the ultimate freedom because it maximises choice, opportunity and personal responsibility, while limiting the power of the state. redistribution and welfare erode freedom by creating dependency and requiring unfair interference in people's lives and earnings. Thus, true liberty is found only in a capitalist free-market system.

Thatcher - Case Study (1)

After her 1979 GE victory, Thatcher took special interest in the Economic Committee. Monetarism was the new idea that there is no more money unless it has been earned. Inflation was put down to there being too much money in the system, so the government would squeeze excess money out of the system - by putting up interest rates and slashing government spending. The policy was controversial, however monetarists saw old policies as the direct causes of inflation. In 1980, unemployment began to rise, by some point there were more people out of work than at any point in the 1930s (3 million). Millions of union members hated …

the government's actions, and in 1980 there was a massive steel industry strike for extra pay. The government felt this was a test of new policies - no new government money was given to steel and strikes continued for another 3 months. Steel unions went back to work. Unions were being slowly eroded. They were losing power, and the Thatcherite government sent many governments to the wall. It was planned to force businesses to either become more efficient or die. 

Thatcher - Case Study (2)

The 1981 budget further slashed spending and ‘squeezed’ the economy. Riots began in cities, and in July there was a cabinet revolt, where she asked for further cuts, and the cabinet refused. She sacked her opponents and brought in true believers of her policy. The massive Argentine invasion of the Falkland islands, Argentina with its own economic problems, humiliated Britain. A task force was pulled together, but there was little public hope that it would be brought back. The navy had axed its ship in the region, causing the disaster. The war however strengthened her, and she won the next election. Thatcher went on to pursue the idea that the state should do less and the individual more, and that …

 the state should own and spend less and the individual more. This saw her return nationalised industries to the free market. Privatisation ended state ownership of industries and was seen by many as radical, as even other Tories declared it dangerous. At the time, £128bn of government debt was put down to nationalisation and nationalised industries were inefficient.  British Telecom (BT) was first put up for sale, and was beset by problems, its technology out of date and modernisation potentially costing the government £2bn - this couldn’t be done. Bosses of BT thought the process would be too costly. 3 bn shares (51%) of BT was put up for sale for £1.30 each. Applications flooded in. the same night they closed at £1.70 each - making a massive profit. Its successful sale raised £3.7bn for the treasury, motivating the Thatcherites

Thatcher - Case Study (3)

The state was flogging of assets for money. Leader Neil Kinnock saw it as an opportunity to pledge to renationalise every privatised industry. Thatcher had declared ‘popular capitalism’ as the ‘way to one nation, one people’.  By 1990, 25% of the population owned shares in industry. A nation of small shareholders allowed people to greater understand capitalism and participate. Job loss was a byproduct of the economic revolution. Unemployment hit hardest up north in the industrial heartland. In Teesside alone 150,000 jobs were lost, reaching over 20% unemployment. Trade Union strikes ensued and Thatcher became greatly unpopular. She was perceived as a …

partisan factioned leader who was tearing apart communities - brittle and one-sided. Thatcher eventually fell from power despite her 1987 GE victory. She backed removing the rate system - a property tax used to fund local government services. She believed the system was unfair and unconservative - she wanted everyone to have to pay. She came up with the poll tax which was fixed and paid by all adults, whether home owners or not. Whilst fair in theory, it was inherently unfair in practice. In early 1990, protests began and riots continued in cities. Thatcherism had been driven too far, too fast.

Human Nature - neoliberalism:

Neoliberalism has a more positive view on human nature, arguing humans are more capable of rational thought and logically driven to pursue their own self-interest than other conservative strands would suggest. As a result, it abandons the normal conservative thinking on the importance of authority - this strands thinks it is no longer very important as humans are rational actors. People are atomised & individualistic.  Supporters share Hobbes view that whilst society does exist - e.g. Nozick recognised humans as ‘pack animals’ who need ‘human solidarity’- it is of limited importance. An individual’s first loyalty is to their own personal happiness within the atomised society.  Rand argued …

for the ‘virtue of selfishness’ where individuals pursue their own dreams, rather than be dictated to by the state about morals. They prefer scientific fact and logic to the empiricalism and pragmatism of traditional conservatism.  They are happy to consider theories as having value. Nozick believed one of the few roles of the state was to protect citizens from harm and theft - which happened when individuals became disconnected from their own innate morality. But, he had no interest in criminalising behaviour that he saw not harming others - advocating the legalisation of hard drugs and prostitution.

Human Nature - neoconservatism:

Neoconservatives support the Hobbesian view of moral imperfection and advocate a tough stance on authority, law & order and moral conformity to ensure the stability of the organic society. However, they are more willing to accept human rationality than traditional conservatives.  E.g. a policy which reduces state welfare relies on a belief that rational humans will make the choice to move off welfare into work, they can understand this is in their own interest, and has faith they will not instead resort to crime or other deviancy. They reject neoliberal views on …

atomised individualism which leads to the abandonment of communal customs - instead echoing Burke’s argument that we are sociable creatures, who need society (his ‘little platoons') to enhance our individual security. This community however, still needs to be backed up by the order and control the state brings). They take an authoritarian approach. Crime is caused by a lack of respect & fear of authority.  The state must therefore ensure respect and dish out strong punishments. ‘Victimless crimes’ don't exist -  they all impact society in some way. Crime is the fault of individuals and not the fault of society – indeed in this respect Thatcher made her (much misused) quote “there is no such thing as society”.

Society - neoliberalism: (1)

Neoliberals reject much of the thinking of other strands about society. The strand does support the other strands in believing society cannot exist without a state, also accepting that there is a need for a functioning society (e.g. Nozick argued humans were ‘pack animals’) - albeit a minimal one. But, they do not support the idea of an organic society made up of small communities - instead believing it society to be atomistic - made up of individual self-sufficient, self-interested rational human beings.  Neoliberals value the organic society - which is built on the idea of duties and obligations - as a blocker to …

individual freedom. Rand likened organic society & paternalism to totalitarian ‘groupthink’ where alternative ideas to the ‘accepted wisdom’ are crushed -  limiting human freedom and creativity. Instead egotism and self-interest should drive individual thoughts and actions - not some notion of a ‘collective good’ inherent in other conservative’s views on society.  Rand said ‘a surplus of obligation spawns a deficiency of innovation’. Rand and Nozick both loathed collectivism, and saw the ONC welfare state and nationalised industries as examples of this.  Instead they sought to roll back state influence in society and the economy

Society - neoliberalism: (2)

The welfare state requires high taxation of the individual to pay for ideas they haven’t agreed with, and their reduced wealth reduces their freedom.  Rand argued welfare should be funded entirely voluntarily by private individuals - not enforced on people by the state. Inequality is natural - it is the normal status of the species.  But society should be run as a meritocracy with people rising or falling based on their abilities.  They therefore reject the idea of a natural hierarchy, elites based on class, and the importance of tradition and paternalism.

Neoliberalism has the most theoretical & ideological principles. As such, it has little place for tradition. Radical new free market economic policies were designed to unleash the individual’s capacity to excel when allowed to act out of rational self-interest. These policies also had key social consequences too such as unemployment and community dislocation e.g. as people moved away from home regions to seek jobs (albeit also seen in e.g. the 1930s or Ind Rev). Rand & Nozick saw rationalism & logic much superior to empiricism & tradition.

Society - neoconservatism: (1)

Neoconservatives agree with the traditional and ONC about organic society, social order, inequality etc. They saw the ONC approach in the 1960s-70s as overly accepting of a ‘permissive culture’ that led to divorce, single parent families etc. This weakened the glue that bound society together. They also reject ONC’s generous welfare state - as it weakens individual responsibility and breeds a dependency culture that erodes the strength of society. Equally, they fundamentally reject the neoliberal approach about the relative unimportance of society and reject neoliberalism’s moral relativism believing its focus on the free market and individual freedom led to …

a materialistic moral vacuum. Instead they support Burke’s position that society is the key ingredient of a successful human experience, and that society is made up of ‘little platoons’.  They also share Oakeshott’s condemnation of utopian dreams for society in other ideologies. In modern America in particular, they favour Christian values to secular values.

Society - neoconservatism: (2)

The strand worries about a decline in society which they feel occurs when a society does not have a single set of ‘communal values & customs’ to keep humans ‘anchored’. They have tended to be unsympathetic to ‘alternative lifestyles’ e.g. homosexuality as a result. Worry also how multiculturalism will erode the communal values and customs too - hence they want immigrants, especially those in the second generations, to integrate fully.  In the 1980s this was summed up by Norman Tebbit’s ‘cricket test’ - that immigrant families should support their ‘new’ country over their old (in a theoretical game of cricket between England and e.g. India or the West Indies).

Tradition is very important in the social agenda. The experimentation of the 1950s-70s was a mistake. They have sought a return to ideas which were perceived to exist in previous eras - e.g Thatcher talked of ‘Victorian values’.  The strand believed socialism ‘polluted’ post-war Britain - and ONC acquiesced with this social fouling. This created welfarism, which undermined key social principles especially individual and family responsibility.

The State - neoliberalism: (1)

Takes a radically different view of the importance and role of the state to other conservatives - instead sharing the classical liberal approach. Fundamentally the strand dislikes and distrusts the state, and abhors when the state interferes in the life of the individual, thereby subverting freedom.  The state should not be interfering and telling people how to live their lives. Nevertheless, the strand accepts there remains the need for a state to exist and therefore rejects the extreme position of anarcho-capitalists. Bu the state should be …

 ‘rolled back’ - so it is minimalistic - focused only on a narrow range of functions around basic law and order, dealing with non-victimless crime and enforcing contracts.  Nozick argued no bigger state was necessary since rational individuals pursuing an improvement in their own conditions naturally created order and stability - an idea known as the ‘ invisible hand justification of the minimal state’ since it mirrors Adam Smith’s theory on the stability of the free market.

The State - neoliberalism: (2)

 As a result of a belief in the minimal state the strand disagrees with other conservative strands beliefs by: 

• rejecting paternalism, since individuals are self-sufficient and rational

• rejecting a ONC style extensive welfare system, with  Nozick arguing the funding of this via taxation amount to ‘legalised theft’

• rejecting a ONC style extensive state intervention in the free market

• rejecting traditional, ONC and neoconservatism's understanding of economic policy being subservient to the needs of social order - since a well functioning economy better creates stability via enhanced human contentment

A free market operating without state intervention is seen as sacrosanct - both for wealth creation, but also for maximising individual freedom.  They would support the arguments of Milton Friedman about how clumsy and destructive the state is when it tries to shape the economy e.g. by Keynesianism.  Instead they believe instead in Adam Smith’s theory of the ‘invisible hand’ i.e. the free market is self-correcting and self-regulating. The state should therefore play a minimal economic role - controlling only inflation, and ‘supply-side’ economics e.g. the training of workers via state education. Neoliberals would also reject the idea the state should be led by the ‘ruling class’, and instead call for meritocracy in national leadership.

The State - neoconservatism: (1)

Very firmly support the idea of a strong state - supporting traditional and ONC views, which themselves are based on the ideas of Hobbes and Burke.  The state is sacrosanct - it is the vehicle by which order and stability is maintained. The state must act in a paternalistic fashion.  In particular it needs to promote a strong set of moral values to society, with a particular emphasis on the family as an institution.  This was summed up by e.g. John Major’s 1993 ‘Back To Basics’ campaign. Neoconservatives absolutely support the …

state providing a decent welfare safety net for people.  This will ensure social order will be maintained. But, they saw ONC overly generous welfare provision as a fundamental mistake - since it failed to recognise  human imperfection would mean people would take the ‘easy option’ of living off welfare if allowed to do so through overly generous benefit provision.

The State - neoconservatism: (2)

They also felt that ONC’s allowance of a permissive society in the 1960-70s led to social fragmentation due to ‘liberal lifestyles’. The antidote to this was for the state to rebuild core societal values such as authority, respect & duty etc. Equally they reject neoliberalism’s ideas about the state.  They argue that far from limiting individual freedom as neoliberals argue, the state actually creates freedom by allowing society to function. In addition neoliberalism’s simplistic focus on individualism, ‘the market’ & materialism, shows a very important  misunderstanding of the vital role of society, community and shared values. Because the maintenance of social order is always the…

  priority, they are willing to sanction massive state intervention in the economy and society when needed. US Republican president Trump’s CARES Act in 2020 in response to Covid, pumped $2.2 trillion into the US economy including a $260 billion increase in unemployment benefits and $1.5 trillion in loans to businesses and state governments - Keynesianism from a most unlikely source. They would also support traditional and one nation conservatives belief in a natural hierarchy in society, and that those at its apex are best fit to rule.  However in line with their more modern beliefs on equality of opportunity, they would want access to the top to be open to a wider talent pool of the natural aristocracy’ of Burke’s traditional conservatism.

The economy- neoliberalism: (1)

Absolute belief in free market capitalism. Its economic ideas emerged from seeing the failure of 1970s style state management of the economy, which led to high inflation and low growth (‘stagflation’), and ironically, unemployment. As a result, it believes the government should adopt a laissez-faire economic approach.  Any intervention in the market by the government simply creates distortion and prevents the free market working as effectively as it could.  State managed capitalism interventions such as Keynesianism or protectionism always …

 negatively distort the market and impede economic success and growth in the long term. The government should only play a minimal role in the economy.  Principally this should be to ensure 

• low inflation (e.g. via monetarism) 

• contracts are enforced 

• facilitate a supply of trained labour is fed into the market 

The economy- neoliberalism: (2)

But largely other than that, it should keep out of economic matters. Neoliberalism is strongly committed to:

• privatisation - since state run industries are inefficient & run for the good of the workers, not the consumers (public choice theory)

• accepting unemployment - it is just a byproduct of the distorted market correcting itself. Keynesianism full employment is totally rejected.

• low government taxation and spending.  It is the right of the individual to keep what they earn.  Low taxation also encourages economic growth as people have more money to spend in the free market.  Government spending should be no more than that needed to fund a ‘night watchman’ state.  Radicals like Nozick consider taxation to be’ legalised theft’ by the state

The economy- neoliberalism: (3)

Interestingly, under Thatcher, the proportion of income taken in taxation changed surprisingly little.  Between the 1950s and 1979 total public spending remained stable at around 35%-40% of UK GDP.  It remained this way for the first 5 years of Thatcher’s premiership - …

before sinking to around 30% by 1990 - largely due to economic growth & because the nationalised industries which had had to be subsidised by the taxpayer, had now been sold off. By comparison, in the mid 2020s it stands at around 45%.

The economy- neoconservatism: (1)

Like all conservative stands, they support capitalism. They see this as the best way to generate wealth. However, like traditional and one nation conservatives, they are guided by core conservative values such as pragmatism and the preservation of society. Should the free market need to be curtailed for the good of social order and stability, then sobeit. They therefore reject neoliberalism’s prioritisation of the economy & adherence to the ‘market is always right’. This attitude was displayed during the …

 2008 world financial crisis triggered by the American sub-prime mortgage failure, when neoconservative Republican president George W. Bush supported a Keynesianism style economic intervention programme in America, which neoliberals naturally opposed.  Trump’s 2020 CARES Act in response to Covid is another example. Additionally, neoconservatives can be uncomfortable with the ‘moral vacuum’ of neoliberalism’s focus on the individual and their wealth creation.

The economy- neoconservatism: (2)

Neoconservatives would also oppose the ONC’s interventionist approach in the economy and in state welfare provision.  This they believed had created inefficiency and built a ‘dependency culture’ which then necessitated the state playing a too great a role, to the detriment of individual self-sufficiency and overall economic efficiency.  Equally when ONC’s decided to accept it was the state’s job to create jobs and build full employment, this created an unhealthy sense of individual entitlement to a job.   This became …

a battleground in the reforms of Thatcher in the 1980s, where she insisted it was not the role of the government to create jobs or give people work.  From a neoliberal point of view this was about economic efficiency, but from a neoconservative point of view it was about destroying dependency culture and returning to a society built on self-sufficiency and responsibility for one’s own self and family.