Strategies for democratic public administration in an era of populism

Abstract

The surge of political illiberalism is a manifest trend haunting democracies in general and administrative systems more specifically. This chapter examines the challenges deriving from this trend, delving into its nature, and exploring the repercussions it holds for Public Administration (PA) as a discipline, and for public management as a practical enterprise. It demands increased intellectual efforts to innovate administrative legitimacy and foster a more democratic and responsive public administration aligned with its pluralistic mission.