This book investigates how shifting economic ideas and intellectual frameworks influenced the policy responses of British governments to recurring economic crises between 1945 and 2005. Matthias Matthijs, a scholar of international political economy, examines the transition from the post-war consensus to the neoliberal shifts of the late twentieth century. By analyzing the interplay between political ideology and economic reality, the author argues that the perceived failure of existing economic models often necessitated a fundamental re-evaluation of state intervention and market regulation.

Experts recognize this text as a rigorous examination of the intellectual history of British economic policy. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, making it a valuable resource for students and researchers of political economy.