Governmental Response to Crises and Its Implications for Street-Level Implementation: Policy Ambiguity, Risk, and Discretion during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Issue 1 (2nd January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Davidovitz, Maayan; Cohen, Nissim; Gofen, Anat
• Is Part Of: Journal of comparative policy analysis. Volume 23:Issue 1(2021)
• Page Start: 120
• Page End: 130
• Publication Date: 2021-01-02
• Subjects: street-level bureaucrats -- crisis -- discretion -- risk -- COVID-19; Social policy -- Comparative method -- Periodicals; 320.6
• DOI: 10.1080/13876988.2020.1841561
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1387-6988

Abstract

Abstract: What are the implications of governmental responses to crises for street-level implementation? The COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity to compare the formal role that decision-makers require of street-level bureaucrats (SLBs) during a crisis. Textual analysis of 36 legislative documents and emergency regulations in Israel indicates that the additional duties assigned to police officers, teachers, and physicians reflect three interrelated changes in street-level implementation: increased policy ambiguity, higher risk exposure, and expanded discretion. Decision-makers' expectations of SLBs during a crisis highlight the inherent limit of policy-as-written to account for the operational, action-imperative essence of on-the-ground service delivery. Note: In the interests of space, street-level theory and the pandemic context underpinning the articles for this Special Issue are discussed in detail in the Introduction to the Issue.