A formal model of street-level bureaucracy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5722285 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ahrum Chang (0000-0002-3180-9609, University of Georgia, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 6-27 |
| Publication date | 2022-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Rationality and Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1043-4631 • E-ISSN: 1461-7358 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/10434631211043205 |
| OpenAlex | W3201517090 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 30 |
Different from a classic Weberian bureaucracy, public service bureaucrats directly interact with citizens at the frontlines of government. These first responders use their discretion to meet some citizens' needs but deliberately overlook the other clients. What lies beneath the street-level bureaucrats' behavior in their contacts with citizens? This study develops a model to explain how street-level bureaucrats are motivated to move toward the public and the extent to which they are engaged in helping their citizens. The model is driven by costs and benefits of behavior based on the assumption that street-level bureaucrats are rational actors trying to maximize their utility. However, utility here is defined as more than self-interest; it is the set of outcomes valued by the bureaucrats such as reducing job-related stress, pursuing work-generated ends, serving needy citizens, and implementing good public policy
Bureaucracy · Discretion · Economics · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Public service · Sociology · Computer Science · Engineering · Law · Management and Organizational Studies · Public Administration · Public Policy and Administration Research · Weber, Simmel, Sociological Theory
Inside Bureaucracy
Working, Shirking, and Sabotage
A Public Service Gap
The Motivation and Bias of Bureaucrats
Organizational routines
Bounded Rationality, Ambiguity, and the Engineering of Choice
Maps of Bounded Rationality
Rational choice and the structure of the environment.
Discretionary Justice
Administrative behavior
Cops, Teachers, Counselors
Street-Level Bureaucracy and the Analysis of Urban Reform
The Power of the Street-Level Bureaucrat in Public Service Bureaucracies
Coping During Public Service Delivery
Room to move? Professional discretion at the frontline of welfare‐to‐work
Organisational Rules and Discretion in Adult Social Work
Are Street‐level Bureaucrats Compelled or Enticed to Cope
Looking Once Again at Human Service Bureaucracy
The Implementation of Welfare Reform Policy
The Motivational Bases of Public Service
When Supervision Fails to Induce Compliance
The Relationship Between Coping and Job Performance
Mind the Gap
Moving Beyond Discretion and Outcomes
Which Clients are Deserving of Help? A Theoretical Model and Experimental Test
Theories of Justice and Street-Level Discretion1
Policy Work
Political Executives and the Washington Bureaucracy
Varieties of Police Behavior
The Career of the Chicago Public Schoolteacher
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |