Throughout this essay I hope to show that the ideology of Neo-liberalism is
incompatible with democratic politics. This being due to the continual transfer of
power from the state to the market, which occurs when Neo-liberal policies are
enacted democratically. This essay will start with an outline of different theories
of democracy, arguing that Neo-liberalism prefers the rule of ‘technocrats’ over
that of legitimate democratic expression. I hope to show the foundations for the
ideology were based on theories that were explicitly anti-democratic. To better
understand the development of Neoliberalism I will build on the work of Larner
(2009) Mudge (2008) and Centento (2011), who viewed Neoliberalism as a three
stage process. Although none of these phases represent an “exclusive causal
chain” (Contento, 2011, p 2) and the existence of an overlap between the different
stages is apparent, the three stages are such;
- A policy debate regarding the “best mode of operating an economy”.
- A ‘crisis containment’ strategy enforced by global institutions such as the
International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB), and included as having
large effects on “Political choices and power” within democratic politics.
- The rise of a dominant or Hegemonic Ideology. The Neoliberal system of thought
is the only acceptable model (Centento, 2011)
Joseph Noott Ideological Wars Dr Demetris Tillyris
Chomsky outlines two conceptions of democracy. The first, commonly held view,
being that a democratic society “is one in which the public has the means to
participate in some meaningful way in the management of their own affairs, with
the means of information being open and free”. The other being a conception that
“the public must be barred from the managing of their own affairs and the means
of information must be kept narrowly and rigidly controlled” (Chomsky, 2003,
p.9-10).
