ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief overview of the history of liberalism, including the similarities and differences between liberalism and neoliberalism. It describes some of the ways in which neoliberalism influences social and education policies. Neoliberal theory and practices have become so embedded within economic and political decision making that neoliberalism is explicitly invoked as a rationale. To understand how neoliberalism relates to both current Republican and past Democratic administrations requires understanding the transformations liberalism has undergone from the late 16th century. Under classical liberalism, societies industrialized and their overall wealth grew. Neoliberal theories dominate federal education policy, as well as those of most cities and states. While neoliberalism is often assumed to be the last and enduring stage of capitalism, neoliberalism's contradictions and failings may result in either significant modifications in or the demise of neoliberalism. Neoliberalism has become ingrained as the rationale for social and economic policies and, as such, is rarely challenged, but accepted as necessary and inevitable.
