The Conservative Counter-Revolution in Britain and America 1980-2020

"This book offers an important and distinctive perspective on recent political developments that distinguishes it from studies of the populist turn by asking about the influence on developments in governance."
—Will Jennings, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, University of Southampton, UK 

"Hits the nail on the head with a degree of precision and deftness of touch that is both refreshing and shocking to read."
—Danny Dorling, Halford Mackinder Professor of Geography, University of Oxford, UK 

"In this readable, insightful and illuminating account, Roger Brown charts the roots and legacy of the four-decade-long experiment in neoliberalism, and exposes the reality behind the promises of a stronger economy and a more resilient society by the free market evangelists."
—Stewart Lansley, Visiting Fellow at the School of Policy Studies, University of Bristol, UK

This book assesses the impacts of theright within the US and UK, forty years on from their initial effects upon economic and social orthodoxies. It argues that one way of understanding the main developments in the political economies of the major Anglophone countries during these decades is to see them as a conservative reaction to the New Deal and the Welfare State, and the associated growth in state intervention, expenditure and regulation. The recent rise in ‘authoritarian populism’ can be seen as a popular response to the policies associated with this reaction, the response being exploited by populist demagogues like Donald Trump, Boris Johnson and Marine Le Pen. Written in a lively and engaging manner, this book will be of interest to academics and students in politics, economics, sociology and contemporary history, as well as general readers.

Roger Brown is Professor Emeritus and former Vice Chancellor of Solent University, UK. He has written five books and many articles, mostly on various aspects of higher education policy.