Neo-liberalism

• Human nature

  • Atomic individualism/self ownership - idea that people have absolute rights and ability to rationally pursue personal interests
  • Ethic egoism - morally right to act in self interest
• Society

  • Neo-conservatives fear a decline in authority while neo-liberals value personal freedom
  • Atomistic rights - believe there are the absolute side-constraints
  • Individuals are more important than society as a whole
• The State

  • Free market economy
  • Reduced public spending
  • Low taxes
  • Deregulation (the reduction or elimination of government power in a particular industry, usually enaced to create more compeitition within the industry)
  • Leave moral issues to individuals
  • Exists to protect against coercion
  • Paternalism and redistribution violates side constraints (a position that upholds individuals rights and inviolable, so as to reflect the importance of the person)
• The economy

  • Believe that you can tackle inflation and slow growth with spending cuts
  • Free market economy
  • Monetarism (governments can foster economic stability by targetting the growth rate of the monet supply
  • Deregulation
  • Privatisatino