Liberal Democracy in Crisis: Rethinking Resistance under Neoliberal Governmentality

Description

This book rethinks resistance against neoliberalism in the context of the crisis of Western liberal democracy and the rise of new radical left parties in Europe. Drawing upon a wide range of methodological approaches in contemporary political and social theory, it explores how the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis represents the opening of possibilities for resistance and examines the structural hurdles facing radical politics in effectively challenging neoliberalism. The author challenges the dominant conceptions of democratic politics by critically interrogating the role of liberalism in the depoliticisation of governing and the neoliberal restructuring of the democratic role of the state. The trajectory of new radical left parties in Slovenia, Greece and Spain is used to demonstrate the need to overcome the binary divide between institutional politics and resistance in radical political theory and practice. Front Matter ....Pages i-x Introduction (Alen Toplišek)....Pages 1-18 Understanding the Crisis of Liberal Democracy and Rethinking Democratic Politics (Alen Toplišek)....Pages 19-54 Understanding (Neo)liberalism: The Relationship Between the Liberal State and Free Market Capitalism (Alen Toplišek)....Pages 55-85 Crisis: Critique, Temporality, and Trauma (Alen Toplišek)....Pages 87-123 Politics and Resistance As Power (Alen Toplišek)....Pages 125-161 Challenging Neoliberal Governmentality: Social Movements and the New Radical Left (Alen Toplišek)....Pages 163-200 Conclusion (Alen Toplišek)....Pages 201-210 Back Matter ....Pages 211-214