This article begins with a critique of interpretations of neoliberalism as a conspiracy of political elites and as a process of mass expropriation, continuing with a positive theoretical definition of the relationship between the state and the economy in neoliberalism. Contrary to established views, a neoliberal state is not a weak state, but a strong state - one which somewhat distances itself from the economy, but only in order to be able to involves itself with the economy more closely and also differently than during the previous, “Fordist” period of capitalism. Today the state mostly concerns itself with establishing and maintaining competitive economic order and producing entrepreneurial subjects. This new orientation of the state also implies its institutional transformation from a democracy to a technocracy and a change in state social policy toward the welfare recipients.Članek se začne s kritiko razumevanja neoliberalizma kot zarote političnih elit in kot procesa množičnega razlaščanja, prek katere preidemo k poskusu pozitivne teoretske opredelitve razmerja med državo in ekonomijo v neoliberalizmu. V nasprotju s številni uveljavljenimi interpretacijami neoliberalizem ne pomeni šibke, temveč močno državo, tako, ki se sicer nekoliko oddalji od ekonomije, a le zato, da bi se lahko z njo povezala tesneje in drugače kot v predhodni, »fordistični« obliki kapitalizma. Država danes skrbi predvsem za vzpostavljanje in ohranjanje konkurenčnega ekonomskega reda in vzgojo podjetnih subjektov. Nova vloga države prinaša tudi njeno institucionalno preobrazbo od demokracije k tehnokraciji in spremembo socialne politike, ki je v sedanjosti usmerjena predvsem k aktivaciji prejemnikov socialne pomoči
