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Leftism Reinvented: Western Parties from Socialism to Neoliberalism
Left-leaning political parties play an important role as representatives of the poor and disempowered. They once did so by promising protections from the forces of capital and the market’s tendencies to produce inequality. But in the 1990s they gave up on protection, asking voters to adapt to a market-driven world. Meanwhile, new, extreme parties began to promise economic protections of their own―albeit in an angry, anti-immigrant tone.
To better understand today’s strange new political world, Stephanie L. Mudge’s Leftism Reinvented analyzes the history of the Swedish and German Social Democrats, the British Labour Party, and the American Democratic Party. Breaking with an assumption that parties simply respond to forces beyond their control, Mudge argues that left parties’ changing promises expressed the worldviews of different kinds of experts. To understand how left parties speak, we have to understand the people who speak for them.
Leftism Reinvented shows how Keynesian economists came to speak for left parties by the early 1960s. These economists saw their task in terms of discretionary, politically-sensitive economic management. But in the 1980s a new kind of economist, who viewed the advancement of markets as left parties’ main task, came to the fore. Meanwhile, as voters’ loyalties to left parties waned, professional strategists were called upon to “spin” party messages. Ultimately, left parties undermined themselves, leaving a representative vacuum in their wake. Leftism Reinvented raises new questions about the roles and responsibilities of left parties―and their experts―in politics today.
To better understand today’s strange new political world, Stephanie L. Mudge’s Leftism Reinvented analyzes the history of the Swedish and German Social Democrats, the British Labour Party, and the American Democratic Party. Breaking with an assumption that parties simply respond to forces beyond their control, Mudge argues that left parties’ changing promises expressed the worldviews of different kinds of experts. To understand how left parties speak, we have to understand the people who speak for them.
Leftism Reinvented shows how Keynesian economists came to speak for left parties by the early 1960s. These economists saw their task in terms of discretionary, politically-sensitive economic management. But in the 1980s a new kind of economist, who viewed the advancement of markets as left parties’ main task, came to the fore. Meanwhile, as voters’ loyalties to left parties waned, professional strategists were called upon to “spin” party messages. Ultimately, left parties undermined themselves, leaving a representative vacuum in their wake. Leftism Reinvented raises new questions about the roles and responsibilities of left parties―and their experts―in politics today.
560 pages, Hardcover
Published June 4, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 2, 2020
A very good read for anyone interested in the decline of Left wing parties in the West. Mudge looks at Sweden, Germany, the US and the UK, and takes you on a journey through their ideological decline from Marxist Socialism through Keynesian Social Democracy to neoliberalism.
She argues that in their formative years, Socialist parties were controlled by politician-agitators, who rose through the ranks of the party. Once in power, however, Socialists had to make use of professional economists, who mitigated between social goals and the economy. These guys were Keynesians, according to the spirit of the times. Then came the Neoliberal counter-revolution, with Hayek, Friedman, Mont Pellerin and Chicago. This lead to the politicasation of economics. Once Keynesianism declined in the economics profession, and was attacked by heavily corporate financed think tanks and media in the public domain, the KEynesian economist in Left wing parties was replaced by policy think tanks and spin doctors. This lead to a neoliberal turn, in which Clinton played a central role. Highly recommended if you are interested in how the Left opened up the space for the Right.
She argues that in their formative years, Socialist parties were controlled by politician-agitators, who rose through the ranks of the party. Once in power, however, Socialists had to make use of professional economists, who mitigated between social goals and the economy. These guys were Keynesians, according to the spirit of the times. Then came the Neoliberal counter-revolution, with Hayek, Friedman, Mont Pellerin and Chicago. This lead to the politicasation of economics. Once Keynesianism declined in the economics profession, and was attacked by heavily corporate financed think tanks and media in the public domain, the KEynesian economist in Left wing parties was replaced by policy think tanks and spin doctors. This lead to a neoliberal turn, in which Clinton played a central role. Highly recommended if you are interested in how the Left opened up the space for the Right.
November 22, 2024
I believe this Marxist based political sociology. Very interesting seeing the almost scientific approach to political parties and political experts. I understood the individual words, but the things being expressed were difficult for me to follow. The construction of the sections also felt very academic. I skimmed this book after the first 10%.
September 18, 2024
سیاست غرب برام حوصله سر بره. ساختار سیاسیشون رو متوجه نمیشم و در نتیجه این کتاب رو هم نفهمیدم. سیاست آخوند هیجانانگیز تره راستش. جذبم نکرد این کتاب.
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March 15, 2019324.21709 M944 2018
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews