Street-level bureaucracy and democratic theory

Zacka, Bernardo

doi:10.4337/9781786437631.00040

Cited by 7 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…At the street level, equity looks very much like what I am calling flexible and responsive discretion. Bernardo Zacka (, 35, 65; ) has recently developed this idea with particular regard to liberal democracy and street‐level bureaucracy. Even if it were possible to eliminate discretion from the implementation of policies, he argues, we would not want to do so.…”

Section: The Value Of Flexible and Responsive Discretion For Nondominmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Zacka's (, ) argument can be extended. The flexible and responsive use of street‐level discretion is not just a desirable feature of liberal–republican institutions but also essential for avoiding state domination.…”

Section: The Value Of Flexible and Responsive Discretion For Nondominmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In general, a public ethics delineates normative standards for public officials for aligning their actions with widely accepted ideals and values, thus establishing accountability between them and the public. By informing the professional identity of public officials and the culture of public agencies, a public ethics can play an important role in encouraging bureaucrats (and encouraging them to encourage one another) to exercise their discretion in ways that align their actions with public values rather than their own self‐interest or idiosyncratic beliefs (Zacka , 457–59). Aligning job reviews, promotions, and pay raises with these values can further incentivize bureaucrats to behave according to this public ethics.…”

Section: The Need For a Public Ethicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Drawing on Rohr's (), Richardson's (), and Zacka's (, ) insights, I develop in the following sections a democratic public ethics for the flexible and responsive exercise of street‐level discretion. The public ethics that I develop is one based on care ethics—a public ethics of care.…”

Section: The Need For a Public Ethicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This article contributes to a burgeoning body of research on ethics and street‐level bureaucracy by identifying a public ethics for the implementation of policies in liberal and republican states (e.g., Stensöta , , ; Zacka , ). The argument is neutral about which substantive policies a liberal–republican state should support but instead focuses on how they should implement them.…”

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A Public Ethics of Care for Policy Implementation

Engster

2020

American J Political Sci

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Liberal and republican political theorists have not paid much attention to a theory of public administration or policy implementation. To the extent that they have, they have tended to endorse an ideal‐typical Weberian model of bureaucracy and impersonal ethics of rules to limit street‐level discretion. This article argues that the Weberian bureaucratic ethics is inconsistent with core liberal and republican values and, in fact, dominating at the street level. In order for laws and policies to be implemented in a manner consistent with liberal and republican principles, an alternative public ethics is proposed—a public ethics of care. Building on earlier research, this article argues that a public ethics of care represents an important supplement to liberal and republican ideals, as well as a better alternative to Weberian bureaucratic ethics, for implementing laws and policies at the street level in limited and responsive, nondominating ways.

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Section: The Value Of Flexible and Responsive Discretion For Nondominmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Value Of Flexible and Responsive Discretion For Nondominmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Need For a Public Ethicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Need For a Public Ethicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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