What term describes career-minded bureaucrats who administer public policy according to a technical rationale, known in Mexico and Brazil as the tecnicos?

What term describes career-minded bureaucrats who administer public policy according to a technical rationale, known in Mexico and Brazil as the tecnicos?

• A. Politicians
• B. Technocrats
• C. Oligarchs
• D. Experts

Answer: (B)

Technocrats are career-minded bureaucrats who run public policy based on technical rationality rather than political considerations. In Mexico and Brazil, they’re specifically called the tecnicos, highlighting their emphasis on expertise and systematic, technocratic management of government programs. This label fits because it describes officials who design and implement policy using professional training—often in economics or administration—and prioritize efficiency, data, and policy analysis over political maneuvering. It distinguishes them from politicians who seek electoral power, from oligarchs who exert influence through wealth outside the civil service, and from general experts who may advise but don’t necessarily run the policy machinery.

Technocrats are career-minded bureaucrats who run public policy based on technical rationality rather than political considerations. In Mexico and Brazil, they’re specifically called the tecnicos, highlighting their emphasis on expertise and systematic, technocratic management of government programs. This label fits because it describes officials who design and implement policy using professional training—often in economics or administration—and prioritize efficiency, data, and policy analysis over political maneuvering. It distinguishes them from politicians who seek electoral power, from oligarchs who exert influence through wealth outside the civil service, and from general experts who may advise but don’t necessarily run the policy machinery.