The Revival of the Call for ‘Ethos of Civil Service’?:

Key Points

• The aim is to examine the current interest in bureaucratic ethos amid rising populism and bureaucratic distrust.
• Analyzed recent studies on bureaucratic ethos and public administration reforms in the context of populism.
• Explored concepts of neo-Weberian state and professionalism in relation to civil service.
• Evaluated the social implications of bureaucratic changes in Japan.
• Limited examples exist of bureaucrats maintaining professionalism under populist regimes.
• The loss of bureaucratic autonomy in Japan has weakened democratic safeguards.
• The expectation of bureaucratic efficacy without social support risks democratic erosion.