Origins and general characteristics neo-conservative views of Margaret Thatcher

As is known, the widespread and development of the ideas of neoconservatism in the second half of the last century took place mainly in the United States of America. Nevertheless, characterizing the features of political organization and activity in other foreign countries allows us to conclude that the spread of neoconservatism has gone beyond American borders.

In particular, the seventy-first Prime Minister of Great Britain Margaret Thatcher (1979-1990) is usually named among the most famous supporters of the relevant ideas. The political career of M. Thatcher has a long history: So, back in the mid-1950s. Thatcher began to make attempts to fight for a seat in Parliament, as a result she won a difficult election campaign, becoming a member of the House of Commons in 1958 (and retaining this seat until 1992).

In the early 1970s M. Thatcher took the post of Minister of Education and Science Great Britain. Even then, the neo-conservative preferences of M. Thatcher began to appear, associated with the desire to reduce the excessively broad social support provided by the state, directing the released cash for real important tasks.

Example 1

Thus, in the first months of her tenure as minister, M. Thatcher attracted public attention by attempting to reduce state spending in the relevant area, giving priority to the academic needs of educational institutions and cutting spending on the state education system. As a result of this, in particular, the practice of free distribution of milk to British schoolchildren between the ages of seven and eleven was discontinued.

Since 1975 in the face of the decline in the authority of the Conservative Party in the Parliament of Great Britain, M. Thatcher made an attempt to carry out intra-party reforms, having won the elections for the position of the head of the conservative practice of her main opponents - from that moment until the election in 1979 to the post of Prime Minister M. Thatcher officially recognized as the leader of the opposition movement in the UK.

Economic transformations M. Thatcher

As noted above, support for the neo-conservative views of M. Thatcher became obvious from the moment she came to power as Minister of Education and Science. In this regard, taking the post of Prime Minister, who actually acts as the head of state in the conditions of the British political system, marked the implementation of large-scale socio-political and economic transformations in the country.

So, among the main activities carried out by M. Thatcher after taking the post of Prime Minister, in the economic sphere, the following can be named:

• The UK tax system underwent a significant change, within which there was a progressive reduction in the values ​​of direct taxes on citizens' incomes with a proportional increase in indirect taxes (primarily VAT);
• Realizing the need to reduce inflation and reduce the money supply, under the threat of a crisis in the economy, it was decided to increase the discount rate (an analogue of the modern Russian key rate TSB RF);
• In addition, in the conditions of the budget deficit that had developed by the time that M. Thatcher came to power, she, together with the Government, was forced to take frankly unpopular measures, the opinion on the expediency of which is divided within the framework of neoconservative ideology - reducing the volume of budget financing of state-owned enterprises, reducing spending on the social sphere, including such socially significant areas as education and housing and communal services.

Remark 1

The implementation of the designated policy aimed at reducing the budgetary financing of education in the UK had a negative impact on the Prime Minister M. Thatcher herself - for the first time in post-war years, after graduating from Oxford University and taking the post of Prime Minister, did not receive the status of an honorary doctor of the university, which was insisted not only by students, but also voted by the governing Council of the university.

Labor reforms carried out by the administration of M. Thatcher

The rigid domestic policy, dictated by the neo-conservative views of M. Thatcher, and chosen by her and her administration after coming to power, influenced the most diverse spheres of domestic and foreign policy life.

In particular, it seems appropriate to pay attention to the fact that along with the tightening of regulation in the tax and economic spheres, certain transformations have also taken place in the labor sphere. In particular, during her leadership, M. Thatcher actively fought against the extremely expanded influence of trade unions, which, according to Thatcher herself, had a negative impact on parliamentary democracy and the economy of Great Britain, due to their provoking regular strikes.

Among the specific measures in the field of toughening the activities of trade unions in the UK during the leadership of M. Thatcher can be named: the adoption of laws on the prohibition of forced entry into a trade union, on the prohibition of the so-called "solidarity strikes", a rule on preliminary warning employers about the start of a strike and mandatory secret ballot for the final decision to initiate a strike.

An analysis of the above measures in the labor sphere clearly demonstrates the desire of M. Thatcher to minimize the number of more frequent strikes. At the same time, M. Thatcher herself convinced the British that the appropriate measures would contribute in the future to increasing the democratic organization and activities of trade unions.

Introduction

The name of Margaret Thatcher does not leave anyone indifferent; dozens of books have been written about her. The Iron Lady was the most powerful woman in the world for ten years. Margaret Thatcher was strong, but honest, able to show stubbornness, but also to enter into the position of the enemy, ambitious, but calm and cold-blooded. Thatcher's shrewdness and focus on purpose helped her rise to the top of the English Tory party, and her single-mindedness and ambition kept her in power longer than any other British leader of the twentieth century. As Britain's first female prime minister, Thatcher, as expected, did not achieve much, constantly encountering blockades and obstacles in her path - the usual set of resistance to any female leader who penetrated the bastion of traditionally male power. But as it soon turned out, Thatcher, through creative use of legislation, achieved more than her three former predecessors put together. She turned the helm of the sinking ship of the state economy faster and more efficiently than any of her supporters or opponents could have imagined. She turned out to be able to do this, relying on an unshakable faith in herself, in her ability to see - what is true and good. Lady Thatcher (she was knighted in 1993) left an indelible mark on the history of her country and influenced the way of thinking of the entire British society, but she left perhaps the biggest legacy for aspiring young women leaders who want to follow in her footsteps. .

Margaret Thatcher came to power with a philosophy based on the condemnation of the government, and with a rigidly pragmatic attitude to current events. It armed itself with these unique qualities in order to drag the tedious machine of the political system, limited by small concessions. Most of the long-established bureaucrats hated her, but also feared her. And they had reasons for this. The Iron Lady was not going to beat around the bush and do anything carelessly. She dared to be different, because even her father inspired her every day, drop by drop, with the conviction that everything would be fine if she was "not like everyone else." Her father, Alfred Roberts, an entrepreneur turned preacher and local politician, taught his daughter the doctrine of independence. He repeated from day to day that "dissimilar" lead people, and "parasites" follow them in everything. He urged her "never to follow the crowd, but to lead it." Young Margaret armed herself with her father's wisdom and became a leader the world will not soon forget. Thatcher is the perfect "female leader" model for all young women, wherever they are. She broke the traditional foundation that should have been broken long ago. This indomitable lady has always been guided by the motto: "Purpose and direction"

Margaret Thatcher, for the first time in British history of this century, managed to interrupt the swings of the traditional two-party pendulum of Conservatives and Labor being in power for such a long time. Under her leadership, the Conservatives won the election in May 1979, and she became Prime Minister. Twice - in 1983 and in 1987 - she was re-elected to this post and in total she served as prime minister for 11 years. These years were not easy in the life of the UK. The country managed to get out of a rather dangerous socio-economic crisis, when England was called the "sick man of Europe", to strengthen its position among the most developed states of the capitalist world. The international prestige of Great Britain has grown, its role in world affairs has increased.

This woman is very popular in many countries, especially Thatcher was popular in the Soviet Union in the mid-80s. Thatcher went down in British history as the first female prime minister. The history of Britain did not know such an example when a woman led military operations, as was the case during the war with Argentina. Like a real big politician, she did not stand still, and firmly adhering to her basic principles, changed her assessments and views over time.

That is why the interest of historians in the person of Margaret Thatcher is great. In Russian historiography, there are a number of authors who devoted their works to Thatcher's activities in the external arena, even during her reign Lebedev A.A. Essays on British Foreign Policy. M., 1988. Mityaeva E.V. Anglo-Argentine conflict over the Phonkland Islands. "International relationships". M., 1985. Strezhneva L. V. Great Britain and Western Europe: political aspects. M., 1988., and the work of a foreign author Krieger J. Reagan, Thatcher and the politics of decline. M., 1988. . These works reflect the steps towards "reconciliation" with the USSR and the results of the Anglo-Argentine conflict.

After leaving the post of prime minister, a book by a foreign author was published, which assesses and criticizes the activities of M. Thatcher. Ogden Cr. Margaret Thatcher. The woman is in power. Portrait of a man and a politician. M., 1992.

Soviet diplomats, who directly had personal conversations with Thatcher, also studied foreign policy activities in depth and comprehensively. Zamyatkin L.M. Gorby and Maggie: Ambassador's Notes on Two Famous Politicians, M., 1995. Popov V.I. Margaret Thatcher: man and politician. M., 2000.

There is also a number of literature, which, unfortunately, has not been translated into Russian, including Thatcher's memoirs in two volumes.

1 The crisis of the old conservatism

The contradictions of structural adjustment, the exceptional difficulty of adapting to the new conditions of reproduction and the world market, the acuteness of class and social conflicts make it necessary for the bourgeois state to intervene extensively in the economy, to search for its new forms and methods.

The sharp deepening of the general crisis of capitalism is connected with the action of a number of factors. These are the deterioration of the reproduction of capital, stagflation, the short-term or complete absence of a recovery phase, unemployment, and the growth of inter-imperialist rivalry.

The interaction and interweaving of long-term and cyclical factors in the deepening of the general crisis of capitalism have become the decisive cause of the crisis in the system of state-monopoly regulation of the state. Based on the Keynesian doctrine, the methods of state-monopoly regulation were aimed at stimulating the aggregate investment and consumer demand. They pursued mainly short-term countercyclical goals. This policy was based on the use of financial and tax instruments and considered the budget deficit as one of the most important "built-in stabilizers". Despite all the limitations and inconsistency, its methods (although they led to a violation of the proportions of the sphere of monetary circulation) temporarily ensured the achievement of a short-term effect: the phase of crisis and stagnation was replaced by a phase of recovery and recovery.

Keynesian recipes turned out to be unsuitable for solving the new strategic tasks of state-monopoly regulation of the economy. Such objective processes in the development of the world capitalist economy as the intensification of foreign economic relations and the growing internationalization of production also acted in the same direction. These processes increase the interdependence and mutual influence of the capitalist economies and make it difficult for individual bourgeois governments to perform the functions of stabilizing the situation. And, finally, it turned out that Keynesian methods were completely unsuitable for combating chronic inflation. Shpilko G. A. Capitalism of the 80s. M. 1999.

The crisis of the state monopoly concept contributed to the deepening of the crisis of the bourgeois political economy. The ruling class and its ideologists, disillusioned with Keynes, turned to the search for new means to cure the chronic ailments of capitalism. The result of the efforts made to develop concepts was a turn to the right in bourgeois economic theory. Widespread and growing influence on the policy of bourgeois governments, acquire a variety of conservative doctrines. This process has been called the "neo-conservative turn" Ibid..

2 The essence of neoconservatism

The question once again turned out to be at the center of fierce discussions between representatives of various trends in bourgeois political economy: more or less state. The neoconservatives accused their opponents of the fact that the system of state regulation based on their recommendations not only turned out to be incapable of counteracting adverse factors of economic development, but also limited the market economy's ability to self-heal and effective self-regulation. The decrease in labor productivity growth rates, the aggravation of resource and economic problems, the decrease in the rate of productive accumulation, destructive inflation rates, and the increase in the army of the unemployed, caused by objective contradictions, were attributed by the neoconservatives to the ineffective state economic policy.

Neo-conservatives do not refuse to use the state mechanism to stabilize capitalism, but they call for sharply limiting the scope and changing the forms of state intervention in the economy. As the main goals of the state's economic policy and the means to achieve them, they name the promotion of economic dynamics by stimulating private capitalist initiative and combating inflation by methods of regulating the money supply. The fundamental thesis of the neoconservative concept is that market competition by independent producers is able to correct all structural imbalances and ensure long-term economic growth, full employment and monetary stability, if favorable conditions are created for it and its mechanism is not violated.

The concept of "neo-conservatism" has a broader content than the term "neo-conservative economic policy". In the interpretation of Professor N. Bernbaum of the Georgetown Center for the Study of Law, “neoconservatism is an amalgamation of very different themes, groups and movements with different attitudes. It's more of a trend, a mentality, a fad, or even a fashion." N. Bernbaum gives the following list of topics developed by neoconservative theorists in the United States:

the theme of the primacy of the market, i.e. the belief in the efficiency of the free market and a relatively unregulated form of corporate capitalism, and in the need to maintain an exceptionally strong private sector as a guarantor of political freedom;

criticism of "big government" or central government or government initiative. Based on several popular slogans - bureaucratization, autonomy of bureaucrats, their inaccessibility to control by the public or legislative bodies, increasing centralization;

the regularity of the distribution of society according to the principle of social heterogeneity and the distribution of benefits;

protection of traditional values ​​- family, cultural, religious, technological, etc.;

strengthening the power (military, economic, political) of the United States in the world; Krieger J. Reagan, Thatcher and the politics of decline. M., 1988

The theoretical basis of neoconservative policy recommendations is the so-called supply-side economics of monetarism. Between these two components of neoconservatism there is a kind of differentiation of functional roles:

the first is designed to justify measures to stimulate economic growth

second, measures to combat inflation Ibid..

Both theories are based on the most vulgar and reactionary doctrines of the neoclassical school.

The development of the theoretical postulates of supply-side economics is associated with the names of American economists J. Gilder and A. Laffer. According to J. Gilder, "the successes of capitalism lie on the supply side." Therefore, the task of the state economic policy is to stimulate supply in every possible way in order to "reward the producer and encourage the investor." The main instrument of "encouragement" should be tax policy. Stimulating supply by providing financial incentives for private investors automatically creates the necessary demand and will lead, in the end, to the gradual improvement of the capitalist economy.

The stimulating effect of the taxation policy on the expansion of the investment activity of monopoly enterprises is by no means unambiguous. The profits received as a result of tax cuts are by no means always used productively, becoming a source for expanding the supply of goods and services. The reality of today's capitalism lies precisely in the fact that the wealthy prefer to use their free capital for speculation in the money market, the absorption of competing firms, the acquisition of shares in existing companies, rather than investing them in new industrial, construction and other objects. The rich get richer. However, the capitalist economy does not receive any impulses from this for the growth of production and labor productivity Shpilko G. A. Capitalism of the 80s ..

Representatives of the ideas of monetarism in modern bourgeois political economy are based on the work of Professor M. Friedman of the University of Chicago. Friedman is developing his own concept of the inflationary process and methods of its containment. He sees the main cause of inflation in the "excessive" increase in the amount of money in circulation. The culprit of the "excessive" money supply is the state, more precisely, its increasing costs, mainly for social needs. The recipes proposed by the monetarists to counteract inflation and "general recovery" of the capitalist economy are very attractive to big business. This is a reduction in “state charitable spending, tax cuts on the wealthy, a tight monetary policy aimed at curbing and stabilizing the growth rate of the money supply Ibid..

3 Thatcherism

The Thatcher government took an energetic start and from the first months began to actively implement the policy of monetarism, neoconsevatism or, as it later became known, Thatcherism. Thatcher herself rarely used the word "monetarism", preferring such an expression as "democracy of owners" to him. - M. 1986 ..

First of all, the theory of monetarism was originally formulated not even in England, but in the USA by the Chicago school of Professor Milton Friedman. He was invited to England for a seminar and spoke there with Thatcher, who really liked the ideas of monetarism.

In addition, most of the ideas of monetarism and Thatcherism in England were formulated almost ten years before Thatcher came to power and received the name "Selsdon politics" after the name of the hotel in which the Conservative shadow cabinet meetings took place and where the principles of the policy that would later become hold Thatcher.

Perhaps it will be surprising to the reader that Thatcher Heath's predecessor had already begun to put into practice some of the principles of this policy, but did so tentatively and inconsistently.

But, perhaps, the most striking "discovery" will be the fact that some sections of the monetarist program - the introduction of an economic regime, curbing government spending, limiting the growth of the money supply - have already begun to be carried out (albeit by force, under pressure from the International Monetary Fund) Callaghan's Labor government.

Thus, Thatcherism is not a new trend in economics, but rather a collection of individual economic postulates.

But what is the theory of Thatcherism? First of all, Thatcherism involves strict control over the money supply in order to curb inflation. This is the main task. At the same time, for the sake of its implementation, one can ignore the fact that as a result, unemployment increases.

To reduce inflation, it is necessary to introduce strict control over expenditures in order to reduce them. Given rising unemployment, spending cuts in all ministries (except defense) should be sharp and steady. It also includes a serious reduction in the size of the state apparatus. (For the first 3 years, it was reduced by almost 80 thousand people, that is, by 10%, primarily due to the upper echelon.) This makes it possible to receive more funds and makes the administrative service much less attractive for young people (less high posts!). A sharp reduction in local spending, government spending on housing construction was also envisaged. Monetarism assumed the distribution of the tax burden, the reduction of income taxes and the increase in indirect ones.

A special place in Thatcherism is occupied by the cult of individualism, the priority of independence, freedom of enterprise, and the rejection of collectivism. The government should not interfere in the affairs of business, it is possible to do this only as a last resort. And if earlier it provided assistance to failing or promising firms in order to open the way for them, then the Thatcher government abandoned this approach.

Industries nationalized (by Labor) must be transferred to private hands. Everyone is free to start their own business and compete. "Just like in sports, in competition it's not about how fast you run, it's about how fast your opponent runs." Since it is easier to open small trade, to establish a small firm, the Thatcher government was ready to provide these firms (primarily through tax policy) with some assistance. But the main thing is the freedom of enterprise. People should be allowed to do whatever they like, “provided that labor activity does not endanger the health and life of people, that the goods produced are safe for human health and meet their reasonable needs, provided that competition is encouraged and monopolies are eliminated in any areas". The place of trade unions must be limited, as they hinder the freedom of enterprise.

The ideal of Thatcherism is a society of small shareholders and entrepreneurs, small and medium businesses. The most characteristic thing in Thatcherism was unconditional, unswerving adherence to the principles of monetarism. Whatever the costs, whatever the difficulties and obstacles, the goal is sacred and deviation from it even in the slightest degree is unacceptable Peregudov S.P. "Thatcher and Thatcherism". 1996..

Thatcher never said that "the end justifies the means", but in essence it was her creed. She pursued her economic principles with fanatical tenacity. For her, in this matter, there were only two colors - black and white. Thatcher embodied an uncompromising messianic political approach. And its supporters argue that such a "black and white approach" could save the government from the anarchy that, in their opinion, characterized Westminster throughout the 70s. The policy of Thatcherism was carried out primarily through the country's budget. The fate of economic reforms or, as these reforms quickly began to be called, "economic revolution" depended on it and its implementation.

Conclusion

In 1990, Margaret Thatcher received the Order of Merit, and two years later Queen Elizabeth II granted her the title of Baroness and the right to sit in the House of Lords for life. The one who, when she was in power, was not scolded only by the lazy, finally received what was due to her by right.

October 13, 2005 Margaret Thatcher turned 80 years old. She is no longer as cheerful as before, but her hats still attract attention. She celebrated her anniversary in one of the most luxurious hotels in London - Mandarin Oriental Hotel, located near Hyde Park. 670 people were invited to the solemn banquet, including many politicians, athletes, businessmen, artists, representatives of show business. Despite the difficulties in the relationship, the baroness's children were also present at the celebration, however, it may have been only a brief truce. How else? The ability to "keep a face" is very English, and even more so very Thatcher.

On her own anniversary, against the advice of doctors, Thatcher could not deny herself the pleasure of speaking publicly. But she was not talking about the years she had lived or about her family. The Iron Lady remained true to herself and criticized Tony Blair's decision to send troops into Iraq. She was not even embarrassed by the presence of the queen and Blair himself. Needless to say, this lady can afford a lot - she deserves it.

The baroness recently gave an interview to one of her biographers. Margaret Thatcher said that, unfortunately or fortunately, she "for the first time in her life had so much free time for reflection and, sitting in a rocking chair in her beautiful garden, she thinks about her health, the well-being of her children and the prosperity of the country." It's in that order!

... When a survey was conducted among the British "What action of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister do you assess most positively?", About a third of the respondents answered: "With Mrs. Thatcher's coming to power, the lawns in the parks have become well-groomed again!" Like this. Politics, economics - for a real Englishman it's not all that important. Is the English lawn tidy? It means that everything is in order in the country. Thank you Lady Thatcher!

Bibliography

1. Afanasiev V. S. Bourgeois economic thought of the 30-80s of the XX century. - M. 1986.

2. Zamyatkin L.M. Gorby and Maggie: Ambassador's Notes on Two Famous Politicians, M., 1995.

3. Krieger J. Reagan, Thatcher and the politics of decline. M., 1988.

4. Lebedev A.A. Essays on British Foreign Policy. M., 1988.

5. Mityaeva E. V. Anglo-Argentine conflict over the Phonkland Islands. "International relationships". M., 1985.

6. Ogden Cr. Margaret Thatcher. The woman is in power. Portrait of a man and a politician. M., 1992.

7. Peregudov S.P. "Thatcher and Thatcherism". 1996.

8. Popov V.I. Margaret Thatcher: man and politician. M., 2000.

9. Strezhneva L. V. Great Britain and Western Europe: political aspects. M., 1988.

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Getting out of the protracted British economic recession - such a task was set by Margaret Thatcher, who settled in Downing Street in May 1979, at the end of a sad decade, when three-day inflation was more than 25%, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a package to the country financial assistance. During Thatcher's tenure, Britain seemed to have recovered and entered the 90s with a new reputation for being strong. economic system. The country became more productive, competitive and profitable, and the long overdue reforms of the 1980s paved the way for a long 16-year boom that occurred between 1992 and 2008.

Despite this, for ill-wishers The former Prime Minister of Great Britain will forever remain the one who destroyed more than 15% of British industry with its dogmatic monetarism, missed the opportunity to develop oil at the bottom of the North Sea, made the country unbalanced and strengthened its inequality, writes The Guardian.

The truth lies somewhere in between these extremes. Thatcher came to power when the UK economy, after three decades of playing poor relative of the Western countries, was almost ready for a tipping point. If Gene Callaghan had managed to overtake Thatcher in 1979, he, too, would have had to face the problem of economic modernization: the state suffered from high inflation, weak governance mechanisms, and bad relations between employers and workers.

Of course, many strategic the changes commonly attributed to Thatcher had already been made by her predecessor. For example, there was no full employment of the population already in 1976. Also, contrary to myth, Thatcherism was not fully formed in May 1979. The ideas of privatization had not yet figured in the election campaign, and the reform of the trade unions was discussed only after the winter, but even then this issue was of secondary importance.

However, by the middle In the 1980s, it became clear that the economic policy of the Conservative government was based on several basic principles. First, the main goal of the macroeconomic strategy was to control inflation, and not to strive for full employment of the population. The government's task was to keep inflation low, not boost growth through increased demand.

Second, the balance of power in relations between employers and workers was decisively shifted towards employers. Between 1980 and 1984, three pieces of legislation were passed that, among other things, tightened strike laws. Symbolic and key moment was the defeat of the miners after a year-long strike in March 1985.

Third, industrial policy was almost forgotten. The state retained control over certain nationalized industries, such as railways– but British Airways, British Steel, British Gas and British Airports Authority were among the biggest sold companies.

Thatcher did not believe in "picking the winners", instead she preferred to rely on market forces, which involve natural selection among the strongest. Its strategy was to sell the UK to Japanese automakers and shift the focus from manufacturing to financial services.

Fourth, politics was aimed at those who, in the opinion of the Prime Minister, wanted to succeed in life. Thatcher significantly reduced taxes for the rich, believing that this should stimulate business development. In addition, the tax rate has been reduced for ordinary Britons. For example, in 1988 the top tax rate was reduced from 60% to 40% and the standard rate from 27% to 25%. Advertising campaigns that urged the British to buy shares in privatized companies should only increase the attractiveness of capitalism.

In a narrow sense, Thatcher's economic revolution was a success. The prolonged decline of the British economy has finally come to a halt, although Britain is more responsible for this slowdown in Germany and France than for its own acceleration. The number of working days that would normally be lost due to workers' strikes has been drastically reduced.

On the other side, growth was stifled because, with high inflation rates, weak unions could no longer guarantee wage increases, and the government bill was inflated by tax breaks and housing subsidies (the bill was boosted by labor market reforms and council housing sales in the 1980s).

Margaret Thatcher, for the first time in British history of this century, managed to interrupt the swings of the traditional two-party pendulum of Conservatives and Labor being in power for such a long time. She served as prime minister for a total of 11 years. These years were not easy in the life of the UK. The country managed to get out of a rather dangerous socio-economic crisis, when England was called the "sick man of Europe", to strengthen its position among the most developed states of the capitalist world. The international prestige of Great Britain has grown, its role in world affairs has increased.

The term "Thatcherism" has firmly established itself in British political life. This term characterizes certain political, ideological and moral principles that Margaret Thatcher pursued or tried to implement, as well as her specific leadership style.

The political philosophy of Thatcherism is not without interest. It is based on several elements. This is an apologetics of free enterprise, personal initiative. At the same time, Thatcher considers the main incentive to be direct material gain, the desire to "arrange life as best as possible for yourself and your family." According to her, she thus "appeals to the best that is inherent in human nature."

The question of the motivation of human activity is one of the central ones in the philosophy of Thatcherism. “There is nothing wrong with creating wealth, only a passion for money for the sake of money is condemnable,” says Thatcher L.V. Kaminskaya, “Margaret Thatcher: the essence of politics”, Respublika publishing house, Moscow, 1996, p. 94. Her philosophy is openly anti-egalitarian. “The pursuit of equality is a mirage. Opportunities mean nothing if behind them is not the right to inequality, the freedom to stand out from everyone "L. V. Kaminskaya," Margaret Thatcher: the essence of politics ", publishing house" Respublika ", Moscow, 1996, p. 95.

The defense of free enterprise, calls for the liberation of the individual from the fetters of "state bureaucracy" are born in polemics with the British Laborites as part of a general strategy for attacking socialism. “The state should not dominate people’s lives, should not penetrate into all its aspects, replacing personal responsibility” L.P. Kravchenko, “Who is who in the world of politics”, Poltiizdat publishing house, Moscow, 1990, p. 67.

To understand Thatcher's worldview, one must, it seems, bear in mind that she herself, unlike most of her predecessors, does not belong to the British establishment. She comes from the petty bourgeoisie. This largely explains the fact that an important element of the concept of Thatcherism was the “return to Victorian moral values” proclaimed by her: respect for the family and religion, law and order, thrift, accuracy, diligence, the primacy of the right of the individual.

Thatcher quite accurately captured the mood of certain sections of society, advocating that a “strong personality” be at the head of the country, which could restore Britain to its former greatness and restore “proper order” in the country. It is characteristic, for example, that in the sphere of public morality, the strengthening of law and order, Thatcher not only did not weaken the role of the state, but even significantly strengthened it. During her tenure, several important new laws were passed to expand the powers of the courts and the police, and immigration laws were tightened.

Thatcher's economic course was based on a monetarist concept that gave priority to reducing inflation by curbing the growth of the money supply and issuing it in such a volume that would be in direct proportion to output and the rate of interest. Monetary regulation is the main lever of influence on the economic situation. The Thatcher government consistently carried out the restructuring of the tax system. The reduction of taxation, according to its plan, should encourage business activity, increase the turnover of capital.

Margaret Thatcher vigorously and decisively broke the system of state corporations that had developed in the country. The privatization of the socialized sector is one of the main elements of the restructuring of the economy carried out by her. In conversations, including with our economists, she repeatedly noted the inflexibility of state-owned enterprises, their belated response to the ever-changing needs of the market. Because these businesses, she said, were state-sponsored, they didn't have to worry about their survival. At the same time, Thatcher said more than once that an important task of the government is to create the most favorable conditions for private business, which has the right to seek higher profits, subject to full responsibility for the results of its own activities. A feature of Thatcher's version of privatization is the wide sale of shares to small owners. Such a line, she noted, makes it possible to introduce a mass of ordinary Englishmen to the philosophy of possessiveness, and, therefore, politically, to strengthen the base of their support for the conservatives.

But all this does not mean that the policy of Thatcher and her government did not encounter significant difficulties. For example, in the social area, the creation of market competition in the healthcare sector, and in education reforms, there was a clear tendency to divide society into people of the “first” and “second” grade. It was in these matters that Thatcher crossed the line of social maneuvering. English voters were not ready for the restructuring of society on the principle of "every man for himself." This was reflected in the processes that ultimately forced Thatcher to resign from the leadership of the party. Of course, one must also take into account the rigidity of Thatcher's line in resolving budgetary issues in the European Union, which put London at risk of isolation in the community. She caused a real revolt in the ranks of her party, opposing the full participation of Great Britain in the European monetary system (it was planned to introduce a common currency throughout Europe). The methods of resolving issues in government gave reason to interpret Thatcher's style as authoritarian, as a departure from "the art of British classical diplomacy."

Economic policy of Margaret Thatcher.

Introduction. one

Historiography. 2

The economic development of Great Britain in the 70s - 90s. XX century. 4

The origins of Margaret Thatcher's economic policy. 4

Economic reforms Margaret Thatcher. 6

Theory of monetarism. 6

Actions of the government of M. Thatcher in the field of economy. 7

End of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister of Great Britain. thirteen

The historical role of Margaret Thatcher's economic policy. fifteen

Conclusion. nineteen

Literature. 20

Introduction.

Margaret Thatcher (b. 1925) - Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1979 - 1990 She is rightfully considered one of the political leaders of the century. In many ways, she surpassed her famous male colleagues, there were legends about her colossal performance, for almost 12 years, voters trusted her with the highest post in the country.

Relevance of the topic.

Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979 on a wave of British dissatisfaction with the ineffective Labor policies of the 1970s. The economic situation in Britain was disastrous. Norman Stone, a close adviser to Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, writes: “The most striking symbol of that era was the heaps of garbage on the streets of the largest cities in the country, around which hungry rats scurried. To visitors from Europe, especially from Germany, it seemed that they were entering some third world country ... Such was the sad ending of the post-war era.” By 1990, the situation in the UK had improved significantly. Stone puts it this way: "The country has shown a resilience that has surprised the British themselves." The role of Margaret Thatcher in this amazing renaissance cannot be overestimated. Her ideas and their persistent implementation helped the UK get out of the crisis and solve many problematic issues.

AT modern world, especially in Russia, the issue of government in the context of an acute economic crisis has been and remains relevant. The study of world experience, the analysis of various models of economic development, with a general trend towards globalization of the economy, seems to be a necessary condition for promoting a successful economic policy in the state. From this point of view, the path of economic development proposed by Margaret Thatcher cannot fail to attract attention.

aim This work is to analyze the main features of Margaret Thatcher's economic policy in their historical context.

To achieve this goal, we have set the following tasks:

§ Analyze the main changes in the UK economy made by Margaret Thatcher;

§ Consider specific results of its activities;

§ Consider how the activities of Margaret Thatcher are assessed in a historical aspect.

Historiography.

Margaret Thatcher left a deep mark on British and world history. Numerous studies are devoted to Thatcherism itself as a political and historical phenomenon, as well as to its individual manifestations in the domestic and foreign policy spheres. Works of both British and domestic researchers are devoted to the development of this topic, among which the leading place is occupied by the studies of S. P. Peregudov, K. S. Gadzhiev, S. Madzoevsky, D. Marsh and R. Rhodes, S. Paynter, D. Regan , P. Senker, and others. Interesting are the data published by witnesses of historical events - Russian diplomat V. I. Popov and American journalist Chris Ogden who personally met M. Thatcher. Finally, one cannot fail to mention the book by Margaret Thatcher herself, The Art of Government. Strategies for a Changing World”, reaffirming her views as a conservative politician. Let us dwell on the books that were the main sources of this work.

In the work of S.P. Peregudov “Thatcher and Thatcherism” (M., 1996), there is also an image of the outstanding personality of M. Thatcher, and an analysis of the phenomenon of “Thatcherism”, the fundamental element of which was the right-wing conservatism of the traditionalist persuasion. Peregudov emphasizes that this political model was established even before Thatcher came to power, but only the "iron lady" was able to start implementing it. According to the source, the strength of British conservatism, as well as the British political system, lies in the fact that they give rise to leaders of the type of Thatcher, who, if necessary, turn to unconventional methods that can ensure the further development and strengthening of British traditions.

Margaret Thatcher's The Art of Government. Strategies for a Changing World” can be divided into four large blocks of questions. Firstly, it is a summing up of a bygone era - reflections on the lessons " cold war”, the past and current role of the US. Secondly, an assessment of the development paths of Russia, China, India and the countries of the Far and Middle East. Thirdly, the threats posed to the world by instability in the Balkans, rogue states, Islamic extremism and international terrorism, as well as strategies to counter them. And, finally, the process of integration in Europe, fraught with the danger of an imperceptible expansion of the power of international institutions to the detriment of the independence of nation-states. The system of views that are presented and consistently defended in the book, Margaret Thatcher herself succinctly calls "conservatism".

Chris Ogden in Margaret Thatcher. A woman in power: a portrait of a man and politics "(M., 1992) describes Thatcher's biography in sufficient detail, trying to explain her desire for politics, worldview and character by the traditions that have developed in her family, the political and economic situation in England and others, it would seem completely random , factors. The main task of the author is to tell about Margaret Thatcher not as a harsh politician, but as an ordinary woman who managed to overcome many difficulties, striving for her goal, to create the image of a strong, strong-willed woman who hides her problems, worries and fears under the mask of the almighty, fearless and always going only forward "iron lady". The source talks about Thatcher's personal life, her childhood years and emotions hidden from strangers.

I., a prominent Russian diplomat, who for a number of years was the USSR ambassador to England, used personal meetings and conversations with Margaret Thatcher in London and Moscow, as well as the memoirs of Thatcher herself recently published in England to write the book “Margaret Thatcher: a man and a politician. The view of a Soviet diplomat ”(M., 2000). The source characterizes in detail the personality of the "iron lady" and the events that accompanied her in the political arena. Analyzing the economic situation in Great Britain and its changes under Margaret Thatcher, the author uses statistical data. These data indicate that the stereotype of "destruction of the social sphere" under Thatcher is not entirely true. Under Thatcher, pensions increased, incomes of working Englishmen, the number of homeowners and the number of shareholders increased significantly. However, the author also demonstrates the inflexibility of Thatcher's policy, her intentions to bring everything to the intended conclusion, not being satisfied with half-measures and compromises.

The economic development of Great Britain in the 70s - 90s. XX century

The origins of Margaret Thatcher's economic policy

The 20th century is a time of historical events that took place both in individual countries and captured entire continents, which influenced the whole world. Mankind found itself in the face of global political and economic processes, ups and downs and crises and was looking for new ways to solve previously unknown problems. One of these problems was the economic crisis of 1974-1975. This one occupies a special place in the general chain of cyclic crises of overproduction. It coincided with a surge in inflation, which led to a break in the existing structure of domestic prices, made it difficult to get a loan, and slowed down the way out of the crisis. All this was superimposed by the energy crisis, which led to the disruption of traditional ties in the world market, complicated the normal course of export-import operations, and destabilized the entire sphere of financial and credit relations. The rapid rise in oil prices stimulated changes in the sectoral structure of the economy. The development of new energy-saving technologies received a powerful impetus.

As a result of the violation of international currency exchange and the growing inconsistency of the principles of the Bretton Woods monetary system with new conditions, its foundations were called into question. Already at the turn of the 60s - 70s, the purchasing power of the dollar decreased markedly. In the Western community, distrust of the dollar as the main means of payment began to grow rapidly. In 1972-1973. The US government devalued the dollar twice. In March 1973, in Paris, the leading countries of the West and Japan signed an agreement on the introduction of "floating" exchange rates, and in 1976 the IMF abolished the official price of gold. It was only in the second half of the 1980s that a more or less satisfactory formula for relations in this area was worked out.

The economic problems of the 1970s became especially urgent against the backdrop of the scientific and technological revolution (S&T), which was gaining momentum and acquiring the features of a permanent process. The main content of this new phase in the development of scientific and technological revolution was the mass computerization of production, the introduction of computers in the most diverse areas of production and management. This gave impetus to the beginning of a complex process of economic restructuring and the gradual transition of the entire Western civilization into a new phase, which was dubbed the "post-industrial" or "information" society. The development of automation, informatics and their distribution to all spheres of economic activity had an indirect, but not less significant impact on all aspects of the evolution of human civilization. First of all, the processes of internationalization of the entire economic life have noticeably accelerated. The gigantic concentration in the production and financial sphere, characteristic of the entire 20th century, at that time made a qualitative leap: Transnational corporations (TNCs) began to determine the face of the Western economy. In the first half of the 80s, TNCs already accounted for 60% of foreign trade and 80% of developments in the field of new technologies. TNCs every day more and more realistically claim to be the basis of the entire economic life of the West.

Economic crisis of 1974-1975 played an important role in the profound transformation of the Western economy. This was a very painful process, especially at the first stage (the second half of the 70s), accompanied by large social costs: an increase in unemployment, an increase in the cost of living, an increase in the number of people knocked out of their usual life track by these changes, etc. In the 80s In the early 1900s, perestroika began to pay off, especially in the USA, England, and the FRG. The introduction of the latest technologies has contributed to a significant leap in productivity. The new conditions required fresh conceptual solutions concerning the development of methods adequate to the needs of the day for regulating socio-economic processes. The former Keynesian method of solving these problems has ceased to suit the ruling elite of the leading Western countries. The traditional Keynesian recipes, which consisted in increasing government spending, lowering taxes and making credit cheaper, gave rise to permanent inflation and an ever-increasing budget deficit. Criticism of Keynesianism in the mid-70s acquired a frontal character. A new conservative concept of economic regulation was gradually taking shape, the most prominent representative of which at the political level was M. Thatcher.