Intervention Philosophy
Identify the defining characteristics of an intervention philosophy. In particular, address neoliberalism and the social effects of neoliberal policies in contemporary post socialist nations.
Sample Answer
Identify the defining characteristics of an intervention philosophy. In particular, address neoliberalism and the social effects of neoliberal policies in contemporary postsocialist nations.
Intervention philosophy can be defined as activities or programs adopted by national or international authorities such as regulations, information schemes, market-based incentives, and provision of infrastructure (Kottak, 2017). The reforms from intervention philosophies are therefore meant to help individuals in the populations to achieve considerable outcomes as a result of the humanistic intentions. The central characteristics of intervention philosophies are to help people to achieve more and to ensure that certain target groups obtain the necessary assistance from the government to effectively achieve a desirable state (Hathaway, 2020). Intervention philosophy also creates an opportunity for governments to involve themselves in the day-to-day lives of civilians through defining domestic interventions. Intervention philosophy can also make a certain government involve itself with the activities of other nations (Hathaway, 2020). The main characteristic of intervention philosophy is that the government will have a huge influence on the control of the economy of a given country. Over the years, different governments have therefore adopted different intervention philosophies, including neoliberalism, communism, and socialism, among others. Communism is a political movement that involves the monopolization of power in a communist state and state ownership of the means of production (Beckert, 2019).On the other hand, socialism is the socio-political organization and economic system in which the means of production are controlled by the government as opposed to corporations and individuals. Finally, neoliberalism can be defined as the current form of classic economic liberalism defined by a free market and free, unregulated trade (Kottak, 2017).
Neoliberalism and the social effects of neoliberal policies in contemporary post-socialist nations
Neoliberalism is one of the most influential intervention philosophies in contemporary times. Neoliberalism has therefore become widespread in the past 30 years, with most developing countries being forced to adopt neoliberal policies in order to integrate effectively into the world economy. Neoliberalism is therefore based on the laissez-faire approach advocated by Adam Smith in 1776 (Kottak, 2017). Neoliberalism therefore supports and regulates trade with no tariffs, no restrictions on manufacturing, and all barriers to commerce. Neoliberalism refers to the idea of the intervention philosophy to liberate the economy from any form of governmental control. Neoliberalism advocates for competition and free enterprise with the goal of generating profits and freeing up the economy (Beckert, 2019).
Over the past 30 years, neoliberalism has been supported by powerful international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, Inter-American Development Bank, and the World Bank. International organizations have therefore promoted tariff and barrier-free trade in the international arena and the pursuit of profits through lowering the cost of production, automating improving productivity, and even lowering wages in some instances (Kottak, 2017). Most post-socialist nations have therefore been forced to accept neoliberal policies so as to receive loans to fund and stimulate economies.
Neoliberal policies have had a significant impact in contemporary post-socialist nations, with one of the most significant impacts being witnessed in Mexico. One of the defining policies highlighting the spread of neoliberal policies was the NAFTA trade agreement between Canada, the US, and Mexico in the 1990s (Kottak, 2017). The NAFTA trade agreement has therefore caused a lot of harm to Mexico by depleting sustainable economic activities such as subsistence farming and introducing new methods of farming that have degraded natural resources while also opening the borders for cheaper exports that have contributed to the collapse of local markets (Kottak, 2017).
Conclusion
In summary, intervention philosophy can be defined as activities or programs adopted by national or international authorities such as regulations, information schemes, market-based incentives, and provision of infrastructure. Over the years, different governments have therefore adopted different intervention philosophies, including neoliberalism, communism, and socialism, among others. Over the past 30 years, neoliberalism has been supported by powerful international organizations such as the IMF, Inter-American Development Bank, and the World Bank. Neoliberal policies have had a significant impact in contemporary post-socialist nations. In many countries, neoliberal policies have therefore disrupted local economies and rendered many people jobless, and even contributed to social challenges such as immigration.
References
- Beckert, J. (2019). The exhausted futures of neoliberalism: from promissory legitimacy to social anomy. Journal of Cultural Economy, 13(3), 318–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/17530350.2019.1574867
- Hathaway, T. (2020). Neoliberalism as Corporate Power. Competition & Change, 24(3–4), 315–337. https://doi.org/10.1177/1024529420910382
- Kottak, C. P. (2017). Mirror for Humanity: A Concise Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, with PowerWeb (13th ed.). McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.
