The Return of Ordinary Capitalism Neoliberalism, Precarity, Occupy

"Combining political theory, historical investigation, and empirical analysis of contemporary politics and public policymaking, this volume plumbs the depths of neoliberalism as the prevailing political-economic logic of the current era of increasing inequality. Chapters address how neoliberalization contributes to the growing economic insecurity of ordinary people in recent decades, the concomitant hollowing out of the welfare state, the ongoing marketization of social welfare programs, the increasing reliance on the private sector for developing, implementing and even the financing of social programs, and resultant political responses on both the Left and the Right (Occupy and the Tea Party in particular). Neoliberalism's effects on politics as well as social and economic policy are examined. Special attention is given to the role of protest politics for keeping alive the possibilities for political action in an age of neoliberal constraints on the ability of ordinary people to exercise political agency. The book concludes with consideration of political strategizing for working through rather than around neoliberalism via a radical, rather than status-quo reinforcing, incrementalism"--