Populism and Bureaucratic Frictions: Lessons From Bolsonarism

How do populist governments approach public bureaucracies? Here we reflect on the rise of Bolsonarism as a form of populism in the Brazilian context and on its relationship with public bureaucracies. Bolsonaro’s “strategy of governing” builds on an unstable coalition that combines neoconservatism, market-oriented economic approach and military nationalism and corporativism. We analyze how the antagonism at the center of this coalition shapes bureaucratic strategic positions and defend an understanding of Bolsonarism as an ideology of contentious governing that nurtures divisive bureaucracies.