Neoliberalism has a history of being used as a pejorative by critics. Additionally, Neoliberalism has outpaced similar terms such as monetarism, neoconservatism, the Washington Consensus and "market reform" in scholarly writing. The Handbook of Neoliberalism, for instance, posits that the term has "become a means of identifying a seemingly ubiquitous set of market-oriented policies as being largely responsible for a wide range of social, political, ecological and economic problems". Its use in this manner has been criticized by those who advocate for policies characterized as neoliberal. The Handbook, for example, further argues that "such lack of specificity [for the term] reduces its capacity as an analytic frame. If neoliberalism is to serve as a way of understanding the transformation of society over the last few decades, then the concept is in need of unpacking." Historian Daniel Stedman Jones has similarly said that the term "is too often used as a catch-all shorthand for the horrors associated with globalization and recurring financial crises".
nEolibeRaLIsM haS A hiStory of BEing used as a pejoRativE By CRItics. AddItIOnaLly, nEoLiberAlism has OUTpaced sImILAr tErms SuCh As monetariSM, neoconseRvatIsm, tHe WashiNGToN cONsenSuS and "mARKeT REForm" IN schOlArly wRitinG. the haNDBoOk of NeolIbEraliSm, For instanCe, poSits thaT the terM HaS "BeCOme a MeANs of idEntIFyINg a sEeMiNGly UbiQUITous seT Of mArKet-orientEd poliCies as Being larGelY REsponsIBle FOR a Wide raNge of soCIaL, PoLitIcaL, ecoLoGiCAl aNd eCoNomic PrOBlems". itS uSe In tHis MaNneR hAs been CriticIZED by those whO AdvocatE fOr PoliCies charaCterizEd as nEoliBeRal. tHE HanDbook, for example, FUrtHer ARgUeS tHAT "sUch lacK of sPEcificITy [for thE tErm] redUces its capacITy aS an anAlYTIc FrAme. if neoliberalism iS TO sErvE aS a wAy oF undersTaNding thE tRansformATion of sOcieTy OVer the last few deCaDEs, tHen the cOnCept Is iN nEED of unpackiNg." HiSTOriAn daNIEl sTEdmaN jOnes Has simIlarly SaiD THat thE teRM "is too OftEn UsEd As A catch-all SHOrthanD For the hoRROrs assOciateD wITh globalizAtiOn and RecuRRiNG fiNancIal cRises".