Neoliberal Republic: Corporate Lawyers, Statecraft, and the Making of Public-Private France

The Neoliberal Republic examines the corrosive effects of the revolving door between public service and private enrichment on the French state and its ability to govern and regulate the private sector, highlighting how this dynamic has developed in concert with the rise of neoliberalism. It explores how the boundary between public service and private interests has been compromised, enabling the transformation of the regulatory state into either an ineffectual bystander or an active collaborator in the privatization of public welfare.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 204 pages
Publication date: 15 January 2021
Publisher: Cornell University Press

The Neoliberal Republic delves into the corrosive impact of the revolving door between public service and private enrichment on the French state's ability to govern and regulate the private sector. Drawing on interviews with numerous public officials in France and a comprehensive biographical database of over 200 civil servants who transitioned into corporate law, Antoine Vauchez and Pierre France examine how this dynamic, prevalent in Western democracies, has evolved alongside the rise of neoliberalism over the past three decades. The book highlights how the blurred boundary between public service and private interests has been severely compromised, leading to the transformation of the regulatory state into either an ineffective bystander or an active collaborator in the privatization of public welfare. The cumulative effect of these developments, as revealed by the authors, undermines democratic citizenship and the ability to envision the common good.

Weight: 326g
Dimension: 151 x 228 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501752551