Policy Press Understanding Street-Level Bureaucracy

This wide-ranging edited volume provides a state of the art account of theory and research on modern street-level bureaucracy, gathering internationally leading scholars to address the varying roles of public officials who fulfill their tasks while interacting with the public. These roles include the delivery of benefits and services, the regulation of social and economic behavior, and the expression and maintenance of public values. Questions about the extent of discretionary autonomy and the feasibility of hierarchical control are discussed in depth, with suggestions made for the further development of research in this field. Hence the book fills a gap in the literature on public policy delivery. As such it will be a valuable text for students and researchers of public policy, public administration and public management.