A Brief History Of Neoliberalism

A Brief History of Neoliberalism (2005) by British economic geographer and Marxist, David Harvey, is a history of neoliberalism as both a theory and a set of policies implemented around the world. Harvey traces the concept of neoliberalism beginning from its conception in the 1970s to its establishment as mainstream economic theory in the 1980s and through its entrenchment through the 1990s and early 2000s. Throughout, Harvey argues that neoliberalism’s stated goals—to provide freedom and prosperity globally—obscure its actual goal, the creation and/or consolidation of elite class power. A Brief History of Neoliberalism relies on a combination of intellectual history, economic statistics, and case studies to demonstrate how the financial and political crises of this 40-year time period are tied to this hegemonic economic theory.

This guide uses the 2007 paperback edition of A Brief History of Neoliberalism published by Oxford University Press.

Content Warning: This guide references the source text’s discussion of state-sponsored racism and anti-gay bias and discrimination. In addition, the source text also mentions sexual assault and offensive terms for women.

Summary

A Brief History of Neoliberalism is comprised of seven chapters that cover the origins of neoliberal economic theory, its adoption by the United States and the United Kingdom, its exportation and implementation abroad, and its effects.