Description
Book SynopsisNeoliberal reforms have seen a radical shift in government thinking about social citizenship rights around the world. But have they had a similarly significant impact on public support for these rights? This unique book traces public views on social citizenship across three decades through attitudinal data from New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Australia. It argues that support for some aspects of social citizenship diminished more significantly under some political regimes than others, and that limited public resistance following the financial crisis of 2008-2009 further suggests the public ‘rolled over’ and accepted these neoliberal values. Yet attitudinal variances across different policy areas challenge the idea of an omnipotent neoliberalism, providing food for thought for academics, students and advocates wishing to galvanise support for social citizenship in the 21st century.
Trade Review"makes a valuable contribution, and lays the groundwork for further work in this fascinating area" LSE Review of Books
"This is a complex book, containing a mass of survey and other data… thorough and important." Citizen's Income
"Provides an important contribution to knowledge and debate in social policy as well as a helpful review of the labyrinthine literature on social attitudes" Professor Hartley Dean, London School of Economics
"An extremely useful longitudinal analysis of public attitudes to social policy since the 1980s, placing New Zealand in a wider context of other liberal market economies: theoretically and empirically rich, and well worth attention" Jack Vowles, Victoria University of Wellington
"This ambitious and richly detailed book asks a crucial question: has neoliberal policy changed the public’s mind about neoliberalism? Humpage’s carefully argued answer—essentially, `yes, but’—is both sobering and comforting." Professor Gabrielle Meagher, University of Sydney
Table of ContentsIntroduction: from social citizenship to active citizenship; Social citizenship, neoliberalism and attitudinal change; Implementing neoliberalism; Employment and decent wages in a neoliberal economy; Normalising neoliberal social security reforms; The endurance of healthcare, education and superannuation; Equality with little tax or redistribution; The future of social citizenship.
