West German postwar restoration followed an anti-welfare neoliberal programme

Evidence

Yet little work has been done to establish what the networks of ordoliberalism—or, more precisely, German neoliberalism—have been since 1945 and what role they played in German economic policy. This chapter provides evidence that German neoliberal thought had a persistent and strong impact on German economic policy in the postwar period up to the financial and economic crisis policies of 2008 and after. It begins with a reflection on German neoliberalism as a central component in the common neoliberal thought collective, before introducing the category of a “performative footprint of economists” (PFP) in order to operationalize the “external,” non-academic influence of economists. It then highlights the close connections of ordoliberal economists with politics in relation to three important phases, or turning points, in German politico-economic history. The final section uses the PFP methodology to show the persistent dominance of German neoliberalism in German economic policy after World War II compared to Keynesian networks. — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 611 (#expands, via linked claim)

28. Abelshauser (2004) challenged the ordoliberal interpretation of the “German Miracle” crediting pro-market reforms. High growth rates were rooted in the long-lasting phase of rebuilding the economy after the war, a modern system of production that was less damaged than many thought and in excellent international economic condition in the aftermath of the Korea crisis. — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 588 (#contradicts, via linked claim)

Reconstructionists aimed to concretize the social progress made during the war eff ort, which in their view represented a great stride toward a better society based on notions of social justice and redistribution. — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order, 240 (#contradicts, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: German neoliberal thought persistently shaped German economic policy through 2008 and beyond — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 611; The German Miracle stemmed from postwar rebuilding, not pro-market reforms — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin: The Making…, 588; German ordoliberalism favors state framework provision over neoliberal state withdrawal. — Mark Blyth, Austerity: The History of a Dangerous…, 164 (+3 more)

Related

• The German Miracle stemmed from postwar rebuilding, not pro-market reforms (similarity 0.89)
• German neoliberal thought persistently shaped German economic policy through 2008 and beyond (similarity 0.87)
• Postwar German economics was dominated by neoliberal over Keynesian economists (similarity 0.83)
• Postwar Germany adopted ordoliberalism because the Freiburg school survived the Nazis intact (similarity 0.83)
• German ordoliberalism kept neoclassical equilibrium theory while the Austrian school diverged from it (similarity 0.82)
• German ordoliberalism favors state framework provision over neoliberal state withdrawal. (similarity 0.81)
• German neoliberal economists shaped policy from the republic’s founding through the 1980s turn (similarity 0.81)
• Ordoliberals advised the Nazi regime while also networking postwar plans (similarity 0.81)
• German ordoliberals’ wartime economic critique was not real resistance against Nazism. (similarity 0.81)
• Adenauer-era economics aimed to dismantle the welfare state rather than build it (similarity 0.81)
• German ordoliberalism combined a strong-state Ordnungspolitik with sociocultural individualism and postwar integrationism (similarity 0.80)
• Freiburg’s ordoliberal circle remained active research centers under Nazism (similarity 0.80)
• Most influential postwar German economists belonged to a dense neoliberal network. (similarity 0.80)
• German theorists also birthed neoliberalism, with Rüstow urging liberal interventionism (similarity 0.80)
• Postwar reconstructionists saw the war’s social gains as a foundation for permanent social justice (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• German neoliberal thought persistently shaped German economic policy through 2008 and beyond #expands (0.85) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 611
• The German Miracle stemmed from postwar rebuilding, not pro-market reforms #contradicts (0.75) — Philip Mirowski & Dieter Plehwe (eds.), The Road from Mont Pèlerin, 588
• German ordoliberalism favors state framework provision over neoliberal state withdrawal. #qualifies (0.70) — Mark Blyth, Austerity, 164
• Postwar reconstructionists saw the war’s social gains as a foundation for permanent social justice #contradicts (0.70) — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order, 240