Neo-liberalism and Transparency: Political versus Economic Liberalism

Abstract

Neo-liberalism is principally a political project of embedding market values and structures within not only economic, but also social and political life. Its objective is a reshaping of power relations. However, within the broad neo-liberal camp there have always been differences over how far this process should extend and by what means it should be achieved. Consequently, neo-liberalism is a dynamic and, at times, problematic amalgamation of interests and ideologies. Indeed, in the contemporary context, the emergence of the Post-Washington Consensus (PWC), with its emphasis on market-supportive institutions, is as much reflective of these internal frictions as it is of the overall unifying aspects of the neo-liberal reform agenda. In essence, though, the question at the heart of the contemporary dispute is: what forms of state power will enable neo-liberalism to flourish into the future?