Populists typically adopt a governing style that mirrors the very accusations that they leveled against the previous political establishment. They grab whatever power they can, disable checks and balances, fill all state offices with cronies, and reward their supporters (and only their supporters) with benefits in exchange for their loyalty – what political scientists call “mass clientelism.”
但世事并非那么简单。民粹主义者通常所采取的治国风格恰恰是他们指责此前的执政者所做的。他们攫取一切可以攫取的权力，厌恶制衡，用裙带关系把持一切政府部门，用赏赐换取支持者的忠诚（只有他们的支持者可以获得赏赐）——政治学家称之为“大规模裙带关系”（mass clientelism）。比如，奥地利极端民粹主义者海德尔（Jörg Haider）愿意拿出1,000亿欧元赏给街头的“他的人民”。