Market Values and Youth Political Engagement in the UK: Towards an Agenda for Exploring the Psychological Impacts of Neo-Liberalism

<p>This article seeks to develop a preliminary analysis of how neo-liberal thought and policieshave impacted on youth political engagement in the UK, specifically by attempting to understand howmacro-economic and other public policies can influence the individual psychology of citizens and theirsubsequent behaviour. The article sets out a clear definition and explanation of neo-liberalism andsummarises six key neo-liberal impacts particularly pertinent to political engagement: marketisationand the tension this brings with democratic norms; responsibilisation narratives; increased inequality;the changing character of the state through privatisation and deregulation; the preference amongpolicy-makers for ‘expert rule’; and repression of labour. It argues that the main psychological effectsthat result, and which underpin and define the personal experience of neo-liberal policy, are declinesin political efficacy and increases in individualism, the ramifications of which for political engagementare discussed.</p>