Street Level Governments

Street-Level Bureaucracy is an insightful study of how public service workers, in effect, function as policy decision makers, as they wield their considerable discretion in the day-to-day implementation of public programs.

When the objectives of public policy programmes have been formulated and decided upon, implementation seems just a matter of following instructions. However, it is underway to the realization of those objectives that public policies get their final substance and form. Crucial is what happens in and around the encounter between public officials and individual citizens at the street level of government bureaucracy. This Research Handbook addresses the state of the art while providing a systematic exploration of the theoretical and methodological issues apparent in the study of street-level bureaucracy and how to deal with them.

This book draws together internationally acclaimed scholars from across the world to address the roles of public officials whose jobs involve dealing directly with the public. Covering a broad range of jobs, including the delivery of benefits and services, the regulation of social and economic behavior, and the expression and maintenance of public values, the book presents in-depth discussions of different approaches, the possibilities for discretionary autonomy, and directions for further research in the field.

Street level discretion -- Three pathologies: the indifferent, the enforcer, and the caregiver -- A gymnastics of the self: coping with the everyday pressures of street-level work -- When the rules run out: informal taxonomies and peer-level accountability -- Impossible situations: on the breakdown of moral integrity at the frontlines of public service

This book draws together internationally acclaimed scholars from across the world to address the roles of public officials whose jobs involve dealing directly with the public. Covering a broad range of jobs, including the delivery of benefits and services, the regulation of social and economic behavior, and the expression and maintenance of public values, the book presents in-depth discussions of different approaches, the possibilities for discretionary autonomy, and directions for further research in the field.

Managerial Discretion In Government Decision Making: Beyond The Street Level Provides A Comprehensive Discussion Of Managerial And Executive Discretion At All Levels Of Government. Beginning With A Discussion Of Moving Beyond Street-Level Discourse, This Book Sets The Stage For Studying Managerial Discretion. It Examines Aspects Of Expertise In Discretionary Decision Making At The Federal Level, Including Several Case Examples To Account For The Wide Usage Of Executive Orders In Managerial Positions, And Examines The Formal Roles Of Managers At State Government Levels, While Highlighting The Variations Among State Managers In Their Usage Of Discretion, With Examples Of State Managers With Too Much Discretion. Next The Book Identifies Key Aspects Of Managerial Discretion In Local Governments, Including Information On The Applicability Of Discretion In School Districts And Its Implications In Decision Making, Discusses The Myriad Ways In Which Managers In Local Jurisdictions Either Individually Or Collectively Make Decisions Within The Parameters Of State Laws, Board Regulations, And/Or Council Ordinances, And Concludes With A Discussion Of How Much Discretion Managers Should Have And Dangers Inherent In Providing Managers With Too Much Discretion, And Reinforces The Discourses On Accountability In Public Organizations.