Neoliberalism, Inequality and Politics: Public Policy and the Transformation of Australian Society

Mark Western, Janeen Baxter, Jan Pakulski, Bruce Tranter and John Western

In 20 years since 1983 there has been a fundamental transformation of Australian public policy based on economic deregulation, an increasing emphasis on market processes and the privatisation and corporatisation of government businesses and services. This project examines the impact of these changes on social mobility and inequality, gender relations and politics and culture. We use high-quality national sample surveys and leading-edge statistical methods to adjudicate on whether neoliberalism produces positive or negative social outcomes in these three areas of social life. The project is being conducted jointly with colleagues in the University of Queensland and the University of Tasmania.