What the EA community can learn from the rise of the neoliberals

Abstract

Neoliberalism was an intellectual and social movement that emerged among European liberal scholars in the 1930s as an attempt to chart a so-called ’third way ’ between the conflicting policies of classical liberalism and socialism. Its advocates supported monetarism, deregulation, and market-based reforms and supported an ideology based on individual liberty and limited government that connect human freedoms to the actions of the rational, self-interested actor in the competitive marketplace. Neoliberalism has two distinct characteristics that make it relevant for strategic movement builders in the EA community. First, the movement was extremely successful, rising from relative outcast to the dominant view of economics over a period of around 40 years. The movement has launched 400 think tanks across 70 countries and directly influenced the policies of the United States (Reagan), the UK (Thatcher), and influenced the liberalization of China under Deng Xiaoping. Second, the movement was strategic and self-reflective. They appear to have identified and executed on a set of non-obvious strategies and tactics to achieve their eventual success. This differs from the circumstances of many other social movements which are often catalyzed by particular sociopolitical events instead of being generated strategically.