The unvirtuous circle of populism, authoritarianism, policy failure, and problem definition

Populists in office pursue illiberal policy agendas, particularly where their ministerial portfolio aligns with areas in which populists derive their popularity. One such example is immigration policy, where populist rhetoric emphasises the supposed threat caused by immigration, asylum seekers, and refeugees, rather than focusing on root causes such as climate change, or persecution at home. This paper explores two ‘populist immigration ministers’ in the form of Suella Braverman, the UK’s Home Secretary between 2022 and 2023, and Roberto Salvini, the Italian Interior Minister between 2018 and 2019. Both sought to pursue a ‘hard line’ policy against incomers, and pursued eye-catching and illiberal policy interventions which were criticised as being inhumane and of dubious legality. After identifying the policy core of their illiberal approach, organised using a policy tools framework, the paper argues that their short tenures bear out the lessons of recent literature on both populist politics and more generally the insights of policy studies; that populists prioritise rhetoric over delivery in policymaking, do not achieve (and may not wish to achieve) their stated objectives, particularly when proposing solutions to complex problems, and that those efforts that are made to faithfully enact their objectives are undermined by the complexities of contemporary policymaking systems. As such, they create policy failures. However, this may have the effect of creating an ‘unvirtuous circle’ which bolsters their support, as it confirms their narratives of elite corruption and incompetence.