Do citizens approve of technocrats? Analyzing attitudes toward technocrats in thirty-one European democracies 1999–2021

Abstract This study examines citizens’ attitudes toward technocratic ministers in European democracies. While previous research has focused on either the supply-side factors driving technocratic appointments or individual-level determinants of public support, this paper bridges these disconnected literatures through a multi-method approach. Using a novel dataset on technocratic ministers, we employ latent class analysis to identify two distinct environments: “Low technocratic” (few, sporadic technocratic appointments) and “High technocratic” environments (numerous and persistent technocratic appointments). Analysis of European Value Survey data (1999–2021) reveals that citizens in “High technocratic” environments demonstrate significantly higher support for technocrats. Contrary to prevailing theories, economic conditions and technocrats holding finance portfolios do not affect public perception. However, growing perceptions of executive corruption substantially increase public support for technocrats. These findings challenge existing explanations of technocratic appeal and suggest that institutional familiarity with technocratic governance, rather than economic performance, shapes public attitudes toward expert rule in democratic systems.