Since the early 1980s Australian public policy has undergone the most major transformation since Federation. This transformation has been underwritten by two key principles: liberalism - the view that citizens are autonomous individual actors whose interests are best served when they are free from coercive government interventions into individual action; and marketisation - the belief that free markets are arenas which best enable individual autonomy and produce efficient economic outcomes. These principles define 'neoliberalism' or'hard liberalism'. After summarising the major policy changes identified with neoliberalism in Australia, the paper introduces a new research project that examines its impact on socioeconomic inequality, gender inequality and politics and culture. Inspection of relevant data indicates that there are important trends in inequality, public opinion and political behaviour that warrant this investigation.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Human Society
Research Group:	Political science
Research Field:	Political science not elsewhere classified
Objective Division:	Law, Politics and Community Services
Objective Group:	Government and politics
Objective Field:	Political systems
UTAS Author:	Pakulski, J (Professor Jan Pakulski)
UTAS Author:	Tranter, BK (Professor Bruce Tranter)
ID Code:	50026
Year Published:	2007
Web of Science® Times Cited:	50
Deposited By:	Sociology and Social Work
Deposited On:	2007-08-01
Last Modified:	2009-09-17
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