Political Parties’ Attitudes Towards Bureaucracy

Over the last decade, far-right populist parties have gained prominence and entered national governments as coalition partners. Their prominence, including causes and effects in government and on policy areas, have been widely studied. The political-administrative relationship under far-right populist pressures has also been subject to debate. Yet, the intentions of far-right populist political parties, before they enter government, towards the bureaucracy remain contested. However, these intentions serve as powerful predictors of how populists may interact with governmental institutions once they enter national government. This raises the question: since far-right populist parties often construct particular narratives regarding the bureaucracy, what do these political stances reveal about their attitude towards bureaucratic institutions and civil servants? This research question is approached through analysing political party manifestos to uncover pre-governmental attitudes of far-right populist parties towards the bureaucracy. The research design analyses party manifesto statements from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland over a 20-year period, with three points in time, using qualitative content analysis to categorize references to autonomous bureaucratic entities by polarity, target level, target entity, justification, and reform intentions. The broader implication of this research is that scholars and policymakers need to rethink how populist behaviour in government is studied, not just in terms of their actions once in power, but also through their pre-governmental rhetoric and framing strategies. This study also provides a foundation for further research on political-administrative dynamics under populist pressure.