Wendy Brown's Neo-Liberalism And The End Of Liberal Democracy

In Wendy Brown’s essay Neo-liberalism and The End of Liberal Democracy she states that “neoliberalism is not simply a set of economic policies… it involves extending and disseminating market values to all institutions and social action” . Here I will critically evaluate Brown’s argument to establish that neoliberalism does indeed extend beyond economic polices imposing a market rationale in all spheres of decision making.

Neoliberalism is most commonly understood as an overtly free market, encompassing maximized competition, increased deregulation and free trade. This is achieved by minimum interference from political institutions, in doing so it advocates the reduction in government spending in order to enhance the private sectors role in the economy. Thus as Brown discusses, neoliberalism goes beyond the economic to encompass the political realm sacrificing social institutions, enabling free-trade, capitalizing on corporate

As privatization and commodification has become the norm, public utilities and institutions have been at the forefront of neoliberal rationale. This has transferred what was once essentially public to the private realms of class and privilege, furthermore cementing market values into the society.

In creating a society of rational subjects, neoliberalism succeeds in its economic endeavors of privatization and commodification. With the support of a calculating society and the hardship of the less privileged, it extends beyond the economic to influence decision making across institutions and social entities. Brown’s assertion that neoliberalism is not a set of simple economic policies is well supported in her account of the neoliberal rationale. Neoliberalism is not only a mode of governance as it influences society’s behaviour as it extends market values to institutions and social