International Social Science Journal (Chinese Edition)

No.3, 2022

Neoliberalism and the resurgence of nationalism: social policies and their changes

(Abstract)

Herong Gao and Ruixin Wang

Since 2015, politics of the West has been under a strong right-wing atmosphere, in which neoliberalism and the resurgence of nationalism is noteworthy. This paper examines the impact of both as two of the strongest political forces today and of their combination on the overall direction of social policy. Despite the severe adverse consequences of neoliberalism for societies around the world, its influence on social policy has remained solid and even intensified. The revival of nationalism of various kinds has had impacts on social policies at the national and local levels. A form of it, national populism, is spreading. Accompanied by the rise of representative parties, it has brought about a range of anti-globalisation, anti-refugee, and anti-establishment “opposition” ideas. One of the most fascinating recent developments is the tacit alliance between the seemingly fundamentally conflicting neoliberalism and nationalism, which now share the same values. The rise of this neoliberal nationalism poses a danger to social policies in Europe and the United States.