Neoliberalism, inequality and politics: The changing face of Australia

Abstract

Since the early 1980s Australian public policy has undergone the most major transformation since Federation. This transformation has been underwritten by two key principles: liberalism - the view that citizens are autonomous individual actors whose interests are best served when they are free from coercive government interventions into individual action; and marketisation - the belief that free markets are arenas which best enable individual autonomy and produce efficient economic outcomes. These principles define 'neoliberalism' or'hard liberalism'. After summarising the major policy changes identified with neoliberalism in Australia, the paper introduces a new research project that examine..