Taking the bite out of administrative burdens: How beneficiaries of a Mexican social program ease administrative burdens in street‐level interactions

Abstract

Despite taking the citizen experience of policy implementation as starting point for analysis, the literature on administrative burdens has mostly portrayed citizens as passive victims of burdens. Based on a literature review, three hypotheses are formulated regarding citizens' capacity to ease the impact of administrative burdens through behavioral adjustment, use of social and human capital, and strategic behavior. Evidence for these strategies is found in a case study of beneficiaries' behavior in a Mexican social program, where even the most vulnerable citizens have resources to reduce the impact of administrative burdens, even if the actual causes of those burdens remain out of reach. The findings contribute to understanding (a) variance in people's experience of administrative burdens, (b) the impact of prolonged street‐level interactions on people's ability to ease administrative burdens, (c) the importance of studying informal street‐level interactions, and (d) the relevance of studying state‐citizen interactions in developmental contexts.

The ontology, origin, and impact of divisive public sector rules: A meta‐narrative review of the red tape and administrative burden literatures

“…Masood and Nisar (2021, p. 57) propose that administrative capital, or “explicit or tacit knowledge of bureaucratic rules, processes, and behaviors,” drives outcomes. In the most recent incarnation of this idea, Peeters and Campos (2021) argue that citizens learn from their encounters with the state, adjust their behavior, and leverage social capital to overcome burdensome processes and ultimately secure access.…”

Frictions on Both sides of the Counter? A Study of Red Tape Among Street-Level Bureaucrats and Administrative Burden Among Their Clients

“…Recent years have seen a massive surge in research about the detrimental impact of administrative burden on policy take-up and—more generally—program success (Bell & Smith, 2022; Christensen et al, 2020; Assouline et al, 2022). Multiple studies have shown how citizens’ experiences of learning, compliance, and psychological costs tend to increase with onerous policy design, such as time-consuming application tasks, demanding eligibility requirements, or complicated rules (Bækgaard et al, 2021; Chudnovsky & Peeters, 2021; Fox et al, 2020; Moynihan et al, 2016; Peeters & Campos, 2021).…”

Psychological barriers to take-up of healthcare and child support benefits in the Netherlands

“…In societies that regard welfare negatively, eligible households may experience more welfare stigma and feel less deserving than those with a more positive view of welfare (Hümbelin, 2019). Welfare policy may also affect the behaviours of street-level administrators who promote or inhibit take-up by eligible households (Berkel, 2020; Peeters and Campos, 2021). Social networks may influence the norms surrounding welfare participation and thereby affect stigma.…”