The Ordoliberal Variety of Neoliberalism

Ordoliberalism differs from other liberal theories in not supporting the simplistic idea that the ‘government is the problem'. The aim of this chapter is therefore to explain the core features of ordoliberalism and distinguish it from other varieties of liberalism. We also show that ordoliberal concepts are not isolated phenomena but that they are related to institutional economic ideas under different names. Such ‘ordo-institutional' perspectives have gained in appeal in the context of the current financial crisis, because they seem to attenuate extreme views of market libertarianism, while still accommodating broadly neoliberal, anti-Keynesian and anti-socialist ideas.This paper complements our research available at: "http://ssrn.com/abstract=2336475" http://ssrn.com/abstract=2336475