This book fills a gap in the literature on economic liberalism in France as it strives to resolve a paradox. How do we reconcile the fact that while France has been among the most fertile of soils for the liberal intellectual tradition, the theoretical ideas it has produced has little impact on its own public debate and public policies? Using a wide range of data on public policies, it demonstrates that neo-liberal thought has had far less influence in France than in other European nations during the period from 1974 to 2012. The failure of neo-liberalism to propagate in public policies France is shown to be mainly due to the strong resistance of public opinion towards it. In addition, the structure of French institutions has reinforced the effect of "path dependence" in the making of public policy by valuing state expertise above that of actors likely to question the post-war consensus, such as academics and think tanks. Finally, the book identifies other more incidental factors which contributed to neo-liberalism marginality: the fragmentation and radicalism of neo-liberal advocates, as well as the absence of charismatic political actors to effectively embody these ideas. This book is a useful educational tool for students of economics, sociology, political science, and of French political history. This book is also of interest for journalists, think tank researchers and professionals of politics and administration.
Author(s): Kevin Brookes
Series: Palgrave Studies In Classical Liberalism
Edition: 1
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2021
Language: English
Commentary: TruePDF
Pages: 372
Tags: International Economics; Political Economy/Economic Systems; Economic Policy; Public Policy; Political Theory
Acknowledgments
Praise for Why Neo-Liberalism Failed in France
Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction
1 What Is Neoliberalism?
2 The Paradox of Economic Liberalism in France
3 “Why Didn’t It Happen Here?” Explaining the French Resistance to Neoliberalism
References
2 Why Neoliberalism Spread in Some Countries, But Not Others
1 Existing Theories for Analysis of the International Spread of Ideas
1.1 Convergence Theories
1.2 The Role of Intellectual Entrepreneurs and Think Tanks
1.3 The Structure of Institutions
1.4 The Partisanship Variable
2 Theoretical Paradoxes in the Spread of Neoliberalism in France
3 Accounting for Resistance to Neoliberalism in France via a Theory of the Cost of Justifying an Ideology
3.1 The Structure of “Knowledge Regimes” Constrains Ideological Change
3.2 Public Opinion in the Implementation of Neoliberal Policies: Gas Pedal or Brake?
3.3 The Strategic Inability of French Neoliberals to Establish a Viable Political Movement
References
3 The Spread of Neoliberalism in French Public Policies: Is There a French Exception?
1 The “Neo-Liberal Shift” in Question: Changes in Economic and Social Policies in France Since the 1970s
1.1 Economic Liberalisation of the Incremental Kind
1.1.1 The Gradual Dismantling of Dirigisme
1.1.2 The Limits of Liberalisation Policies
1.2 The Resilience of the Welfare State in France
1.2.1 From the Safety Nets of Social Security to the Creation of New Aid Benefits
1.2.2 The Challenges of Social Security Reform in the 1990s
2 France from a Comparative Perspective: Stronger Resistance to NeoLiberal Reforms
2.1 The Relative Size of the Public Sector
2.1.1 Higher Public Spending in France
2.1.2 Increases in Public Employment
2.2 More Government Intervention in the Economy in France Than in Other European Countries
2.2.1 Taxation
2.2.2 Market Regulation
2.2.3 The Open Economy
2.3 Developments in the Generosity of the Welfare State
2.3.1 Social Spending Rose More in France Than Elsewhere
2.3.2 An Increasingly Generous Welfare State
References
4 The Value of Public Opinion, Political Party Discourse and the Politics of Liberalisation in France
1 Reasons for the State’s Withdrawal from Economic and Social Matters
1.1 Globalisation and the Opening of Economies
1.2 Social and Economic Context
1.3 National Political and Legal Institutions
1.4 The Role of the Ideology of Ruling Parties
1.5 Government Responsiveness to Voter Preferences
2 Explanatory Model
2.1 Theoretical Model
2.2 Choice of Variables and Data
2.2.1 Dependent Variables
2.2.2 Independent Variables
2.2.3 Control Variables
3 Case Selection and Model Specifications
4 Empirical Results: Citizen Values and Political Discourses Matter for Liberalization
4.1 The Responsiveness of Political Parties to Citizen Ideology
4.1.1 Bi-Variate Analysis
4.1.2 Multivariate Analysis
4.2 Public Policy Responsive to Whom?
4.2.1 The More Citizens Believe in Free Market, the More Public Policies Are Based on Neoliberal Ideology
4.2.2 Liberalisation Policies Depend on Political Parties Platforms
4.2.3 Joint Analysis of Public Opinion and Party Platform in Determining Liberalisation
5 Explaining the Resilience of Interventionism in France
5.1 Which Variables Determine the Resilience of Interventionism in France?
5.2 Empirical Analysis of the French Case Between 1974 and 2012
5.2.1 The Responsiveness of French Political Parties to Public Opinion
5.2.2 Public Policy Responsiveness to Party Ideology and Public Opinion in France
References
5 The Structure of French Knowledge Regimes as a Factor in Resistance to Neoliberalism
1 Comparative Analysis of the Structures of the Senior Civil Service in France and the United States
1.1 Status-Based Civil Service and Monopoly of Expertise in France
1.2 The Legacy of the “Spoils System” in the United States
2 The Relative Weakness of Think Tanks and Academics in France Compared to the US
2.1 The Comparative Expertise of Think Tanks
2.1.1 The Growing Importance of Think Tanks in the United States
2.1.2 French Think Tanks: Hard to Get Established
3 Specific Case: The Production of Economic Expertise in France
3.1 State Dominance of Economic Expertise in France
3.2 Marginalisation of Academic Economists in the Decision-Making Process
4 The Effects of the Structure of the French Knowledge Regime on the Development of Public Policy
4.1 How the Rules Affect the Identities of Economic Decision-Makers
4.1.1 The Dominance of Senior Civil Servants in Ministerial Cabinets in France
4.1.2 Sociology of Policy Advisors and Department Directors at Bercy (French Ministry of the Economy and Finance) and the US Treasury
4.2 A Social Learning Effect that Reinforces Path Dependence and Statist Public Policies
References
6 “A Spring Without a Summer”: The Political Failure of Neoliberalism (1984–2012)
1 The Neoliberal Experiment of 1986–1988
1.1 A Neoliberal Turn?
1.2 Profound Internal Divisions Within the Government
1.3 The Resilience of Statist Policymaking
1.4 A Division Between Neoliberal Theorists and Practitioners
2 Divisions and Fractures in the French Neoliberal Movement, 1988–2012
2.1 The Thwarted Political Trajectories of French Mediators of Neoliberalism
2.1.1 The Implosion of the bande à Léo and Political Neoliberalism (1988–1997)
2.1.2 The Political Failure of Alain Madelin (1997–2002)
2.1.3 The Aborted Reforms of the French Right (1995–2007)
2.2 The Desert-Crossing of French Neoliberal Clubs and Associations
2.2.1 The Fragmentation of the Neoliberal Movement as a Source of Weakness
2.2.2 The Post-1988 Shock and the Limits of the Neoliberals’ Right-Wing Connection
2.3 The Legacy of the First Generation of Clubs and the Fragmentation of the Neoliberal Movement
References
7 Conclusion: Why It Didn’t Happen Here
References
Bibliography
Index
