Globalists – The End of Empire and the Birth of Neoliberalism

Blurb

Do neoliberals hate the state? In the first intellectual history of neoliberal globalism, Quinn Slobodian follows neoliberal thinkers from the Habsburg Empire’s fall to the creation of the World Trade Organization to show that neoliberalism emerged less to shrink government and abolish regulations than to deploy them globally to protect capitalism.

Comment from our editors:

With "The Globalists", Quinn Slobodian provides a comprehensive historical account that roots emergence, diffusion and hegemony of neoliberalism as both an ideology and a political project in the context of imperialism and its reconfiguration throughout the 20th century. The book is not only highly recommended for the rich historical detail with which the author reconstructs a hitherto neglected aspect of the history of neoliberalism that requires much more attention in the related academic debate. In contrast, the book is also a powerful political intervention: It highlights the structural and systematic function that neoliberalism has played in counteracting social justice movements, including the labor movement and anti-colonial movements. It is therefore highly recommended for researchers and students attempting to understand the history of neoliberalism and the global economy as well as for activists attempting to change the global economy for the better. Given this double recommendation, the book is a must-read for the pluralist economics community!