Capitalism: What Makes Us Free? (2021)

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President elect Ronald Reagan (fifth from left) meets with his top economic advisers, including Milton Friedman (second from left) to discuss his economic agenda. Bettmann/Bettmann Archive hide caption

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Bettmann/Bettmann Archive

President elect Ronald Reagan (fifth from left) meets with his top economic advisers, including Milton Friedman (second from left) to discuss his economic agenda.

Bettmann/Bettmann Archive

What's the role of government in society? What do we mean when we talk about individual responsibility? What makes us free? 'Neoliberalism' might feel like a squishy term that's hard to define and understand. But this ideology, founded by a group of men in the Swiss Alps, is a political project that has dominated our economic system for decades. In the name of free-market fundamentals, the forces behind neoliberalism act like an invisible hand, shaping almost every aspect of our lives.

If you would like to read more about the guests:

• The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free Markets since the Depression by Angus Burgin
• Don't Blame Us: Suburban Liberals and the Transformation of the Democratic Party by Lily Geismer
• Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism's Stealth Revolution by Wendy Brown