Merriam-Webster defines Neo-liberalism as "a liberal who de-emphasizes traditional liberal doctrines in order to seek progress by more pragmatic methods." Liberalism can refer to any social, economic, or even religious idea, whereas "neo" refers to a new form of an idea. The first type of liberalism gained recognition in Europe in 1776 by Adam Smith when he published his classic novel, The Wealth of Nations. Smith, along with others, advocated for the abolition of government intervention in economic matters. These included no restrictions on manufacturing, no barriers to commerce, no tariffs, but instead free trade and open competition. These economic ideas were considered "liberal" since no controls and individualism was encouraged. This however, only led to capitalists making huge profits. Until the Great Depression in 1929, economic liberalism prevailed in the United States. Using the Great Depression as his stepping-stone, John Maynard Keynes c

· Reduce wages by de-unionizing workers and eliminating workers' rights and by eliminating price controls.

· Shifts in government spending. Between 1980 and 1987, federal spending on human resources was reduced, while defense spending rose. This redistributes income because human resources tend to go to the poor, whereas defense spending goes mostly to educated professionals in the military/industrial complex.

· A plethora of debt. The banking community, one of the richest segments of our society, collects interest on private, corporate and national debt, all of which reached record levels during the 80s.

· Liberating "free" enterprise or private enterprise from any bonds imposed by the government

· Eliminating the concept of the "pubic good" or "community" and replacing it with "individual responsibility."

Some common words found in the essay are:
Germany Numerous, II Nearly, Refugee Rights, II German, Neoliberalism Ordoliberalism, Nations Smith, Roosevelt's Deal, Maynard Keynes, Wilhelm Ropke, Census Bureau, war ii, competition system, fair distribution, · reduce, government intervention, rule law, human resources, percent households, 20 percent, market economy,
Approximate Word count = 1690
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)