The premiership of Margaret Thatcher has been portrayed as uniquely ideological in its pursuit of a more market-based economy. A body of literature has been built on how a sharp turn to the right by the Conservative Party during the 1980s - inspired by the likes of Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek - acted as one of the key stepping stones to the turbo-charged capitalism and globalization of our modern world. But how âneoliberalâ was Thatcherism? The link between ideas and the Thatcher government has frequently been over-generalized and under-specified. Existing accounts tend to characterize neoliberalism as a homogeneous and often ill-defined group of thinkers that exerted a broad influence over the Thatcher government. In particular this study explores how Margaret Thatcher approached special interest groups a core neoliberal concern. The results demonstrate a willingness to utilize the state often in contradictory ways to pursue apparently more market orientated policies. This book - through a combination of archival research interviews and examination of neoliberal thought itself - defines the dominant strains of neoliberalism more clearly and explores their relationship with Thatcherism. . Language: English