Discourse analysis of neoliberalism

Today more than 800 million people struggle against poverty and hunger. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund are tasked with reducing poverty; and supporters of the neoliberal economic model claim its policies are the best route to do so. This study uses discourse analysis to examine how it is possible that these policies emerged to address poverty. Discourse analysis is the study of rhetorical patterns that constitute actors and effect policy outcomes. This study shows that rhetorical patterns establish the neoliberal economic model as reducing poverty, as well as constitute the market as benevolent and the government as tending toward harmful policies. Focusing on countries during the Asian financial crisis to see the results of the discourse, this study funds that discourse creates the conditions for policy recommendations in loan agreements from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to expand the market and reduce the role of the government.