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Best in Covid: Populists in the Time of Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Lenka Buštíková

    (School of Politics and Global Studies, Arizona State University, USA)

  • Pavol Baboš

    (Department of Political Science, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia)

Abstract

How do populists govern in crisis? We address this question by analyzing the actions of technocratic populists in power during the first wave of the novel coronavirus crisis in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. We identify three features of the populist pandemic response. First, populists bypassed established, institutionalized channels of crisis response. Second, they engaged in erratic yet responsive policy making. These two features are ubiquitous to populism. The third feature, specific to technocratic populism, is the politicization of expertise in order to gain legitimacy. Technocratic populists in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia weaponized medical expertise for political purposes.

Suggested Citation

  • Lenka Buštíková & Pavol Baboš, 2020. "Best in Covid: Populists in the Time of Pandemic," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(4), pages 496-508.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:poango:v8:y:2020:i:4:p:496-508
    DOI: 10.17645/pag.v8i4.3424
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Antonino Castaldo & Luca Verzichelli, 2020. "Technocratic Populism in Italy after Berlusconi: The Trendsetter and his Disciples," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(4), pages 485-495.
    2. David Aprasidze & David S. Siroky, 2020. "Technocratic Populism in Hybrid Regimes: Georgia on My Mind and in My Pocket," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(4), pages 580-589.
    3. Antonino Castaldo & Luca Verzichelli, 2020. "Technocratic Populism in Italy after Berlusconi: The Trendsetter and his Disciples," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(4), pages 485-495.
    4. Caramani, Daniele, 2017. "Will vs. Reason: The Populist and Technocratic Forms of Political Representation and Their Critique to Party Government," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 111(1), pages 54-67, February.
    5. Sean Kates & Joshua A. Tucker, 2019. "We Never Change, Do We? Economic Anxiety and Far‐Right Identification in a Postcrisis Europe," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 100(2), pages 494-523, April.
    6. David Aprasidze & David S. Siroky, 2020. "Technocratic Populism in Hybrid Regimes: Georgia on My Mind and in My Pocket," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(4), pages 580-589.
    7. Lenka Bustikova & Petra Guasti, 2017. "The Illiberal Turn or Swerve in Central Europe?," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 5(4), pages 166-176.
    8. Lenka Bustikova & Petra Guasti, 2017. "The Illiberal Turn or Swerve in Central Europe?," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 5(4), pages 166-176.
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    Cited by:

    1. Petra Guasti, 2020. "Populism in Power and Democracy: Democratic Decay and Resilience in the Czech Republic (2013–2020)," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(4), pages 473-484.
    2. Petra Guasti & Lenka Buštíková, 2020. "A Marriage of Convenience: Responsive Populists and Responsible Experts," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(4), pages 468-472.

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