Economic nationalism results from special interests empowered by popular democracy, not poor leadership.
Evidence
In his 1942 book International Economic Disintegration, which was the culmination of the projÂect begun at Annecy in 1936, Röpke laid out a dynamic reminiscent of Robbins and Hayek by arguing that the international order had been undermined by the distorting demands of special interests empowered by popuÂlar democracy. He summarized this point at the Walter LippÂmann Colloquium when he said, “It is not enough to say that economic nationalism is the result of a lack of intelligence among leaders; it is economic interests and professional groups that engage in nationalist policy, it is special interests that dissolve the State.” — Quinn Slobodian, Globalists, 384
Categorization
- DEEPTHINKING: This is the core causal diagnosis linking democracy, special interests, and economic nationalism — density of implications for the whole neoliberal project.
- XREF: Connects to the book’s central thesis of insulating markets from democracy; also resonates with public choice theory’s critique of interest-group democracy. — connects to: Official nationalism serves threatened ruling classes, not great powers alone — Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on…, 380; Nationalism’s political role depends on the class configuration of its power bloc — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Nations, Classes, Literatures, 21; Official nationalism is a reactive response to earlier popular national movements — Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on…, 348 (+2 more)
Broader Connections
- Official nationalism is a reactive response to earlier popular national movements
#responds-to(0.73) — Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities, 348 - Official nationalism serves threatened ruling classes, not great powers alone
#qualifies(0.72) — Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities, 380 - Nationalism’s political role depends on the class configuration of its power bloc
#complicates(0.72) — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory, 21 - Official nationalism is a copyable state-serving policy with a Janus-headed legacy
#expands(0.72) — Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities, 625