The Anti-Pluralist Challenge: Populism, Technocracy, and Liberal Democracy

Political scientist and political pundits alike claim that liberal democracy is under threat by anti-plural political forces. Populists are generally perceived to be the primary culprits behind this democratic erosion (Rummens, 2017). However, more recently technocratic forces are also seen as a threat to liberal democracy (Caramani, 2017). On the one hand, results from supply side studies, for example, highlight that when populist parties are in power that they curtail the independence of the media and minority rights (Huber, 2017). On the other hand, little research has assessed the implications of technocratic governments for liberal democracies. Turning to the demand side, things become even more complicated. First, studies demonstrate that individuals who are more populist are often more in favor of democracy, while it is not clear where they stand vis-à-vis liberal democracy (Zaslove et al 2021). Second, even though several studies have pointed to the prevalence of technocratic attitudes among citizens, little research has pointed to the relationship between the attitudes of the later vis-à-vis liberal democracy. Using unique data from Great Britain, Germany, Spain, and Poland this paper assesses the relationship between individuals with anti-pluralist attitudes (both populist and technocratic) vis-à-vis liberal democracy. The paper tests this relation by: first, assessing the link between anti-pluralist attitudes and liberal democracy. Second, it examines the link between anti-pluralist attitudes and authoritarian values. And finally, it assesses the relationship between anti-pluralism and democratic backsliding.