1 - The Neoliberalism–Nationalism Nexus

Summary

Chapter 1 maps the new nationalism that dramatically burst into the scene in 2016. It includes a detailed account of neoliberalism, which needs to be distinguished and set apart from liberalism. While some, like Michael Mann (2013: ch.6), subscribe to a narrow view of neoliberalism as economic policy that is specific to the “Anglos” and may have long passed its peak, I take it to be a Pan-Western governing and society-making rationale of deeply transformative reach. Neoliberalism thus understood provides the context of the new nationalism, which arises both in opposition to it but, in a statist variant, may also be complementary to neoliberalism or even constituted by it. The constitutive nexus with its “neoliberal nationalism” proper points to a novel phenomenon on the nations and nationalism map that has so far not received the attention that it deserves.