Populist communication and policy implementation: an analysis of Jair Bolsonaro’s negationist speeches and its potential influence over street-level bureaucrats involved in the COVID-19 response in Brazil

• Ano de defesa: 2024
• Autor(a) principal: Amorim, Luiza Dickie
• Orientador(a): Lotta, Gabriela Spanghero
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: eng
• Palavras-chave em Português: Populismo; COVID-19; Comunicação na política; Comunicação populista; Jair Bolsonaro; Polarização política; Burocratas de nível de rua
• Palavras-chave em Inglês: Populist communication; COVID-19 pandemic; Policy implementation; Brazil; Political polarization; Vaccination campaign; Street-level bureaucrats; Public administration; Communication theory
• Link de acesso: https://hdl.handle.net/10438/35344

This research investigates the influence of populist communication, particularly exemplified by President Jair Bolsonaro, on policy implementation during the COVID19 pandemic in Brazil. Despite widespread global efforts to combat the virus, Brazil faced significant challenges due to an ambiguous response strategy. Bolsonaro's populist-crisis communication style, in a context of complex political landscape, exacerbated the crisis by contributing to a higher level of conflict over a well-established policy, particularly regarding the vaccination campaign, contributing to a higher level of polarization. By examining the influence of his communication strategy on street-level bureaucrats, who play a critical role in policy execution, this study aims to shed light on the complexities of policy implementation in the face of populist rhetoric. Through an interdisciplinary approach encompassing populism, communication theory, and public administration, this research contributes to understanding the dynamics between political communication and policy implementation. It underscores the importance of clear policy guidance and bureaucratic autonomy in mitigating the disruptive effects of populist communication and polarization on public health responses and policy implementation.