Postwar British reconstructionists gave political goals priority over economic cost

Evidence

Reconstructionists held that political and social issues came before economic priorities. They argued that monetary resources would be sufficient to achieve the political objectives of the state, regardless of their cost. — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 181

Categorization

• DEFINE: Establishes the ‘reconstructionist’ position as political priority over economics — the exact stance austerity later inverts.
• XREF: connects to: Wartime disruption generated a postwar window of optimism for liberal reconstruction — Angus Burgin, The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free…, 219; Postwar reconstructionists reversed the priority of fiscal economy over political aims — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 181; War had broken laissez-faire’s grip, allowing postwar reconstructionists to repoliticize property and wages (+6 more)