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Experts in Government: What for? Ambiguities in Public Opinion Towards Technocracy
- Source :
- Politics and Governance, Varieties of Technocratic Populism around the World, Politics and Governance, Vol 8, Iss 4, Pp 520-532 (2020), Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC, instname
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- PRT, 2020.
-
Abstract
- Technocratic governments and similar systems that give more voice to experts in the decision-making process are one of the potential alternatives to traditional representative party government. These alternatives have become increasingly popular, especially in countries where strong political disaffection and previous favourable pro-expert attitudes exist simultaneously. The Spanish case is one of these settings, with the emergence of a political party, Ciudadanos (Citizens), that represents these ideas. This article contributes to the understanding of public opinion support for an expert government, its main motives, and social supports. We claim that experts are not so much a decision-making alternative as they are a desired piece of the decision-making process. Support for a more significant role for experts comes especially from those that credit them with ample technical capacities, but most citizens want them to work as a piece of representative government, not as an alternative to it. The article combines two types of evidence: A survey of a representative sample of the population, including innovative questions about support to expert governments, and 10 focus groups that allow a more in-depth comprehension of the support (and criticism) of an increased role for experts. The results provide a nuanced picture of the types of expert involvement sought and their respective social support.
- Subjects :
- Populismus
Public Administration
Sociology and Political Science
democracy
representation
media_common.quotation_subject
Politikwissenschaft
Population
0211 other engineering and technologies
02 engineering and technology
Public opinion
government policy
Politics
Representative democracy
lcsh:Political science (General)
Political science
Regierungspolitik
050602 political science & public administration
education
lcsh:JA1-92
Political Process, Elections, Political Sociology, Political Culture
Technokratie
politisches System
media_common
politische Willensbildung, politische Soziologie, politische Kultur
021110 strategic, defence & security studies
Government
education.field_of_study
experts
government
populism
technocracy
business.industry
05 social sciences
political system
Technocracy
Public relations
Focus group
Democracy
0506 political science
ddc:320
business
Demokratie
Subjects
Details
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Politics and Governance, Varieties of Technocratic Populism around the World, Politics and Governance, Vol 8, Iss 4, Pp 520-532 (2020), Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC, instname
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....49090f67fe9f5e56f9d82fe6c213de2e