A key claim of the administrative burden framework is that vulnerable citizens are more affected by administrative burden than others. We test this assumption using the life events survey in Germany, an official data record covering more than 10,000 administrative encounters involving more than 5000 citizens. We find support only for the psychological costs of perceived discrimination, whereas neither compliance nor learning costs are positively associated with vulnerability. On the contrary, some vulnerable groups perceive significantly lower learning and compliance costs. Post hoc analyses suggest that these groups might feel less exposed to bureaucracy because they use fewer sources of information. Further, the results also indicate that citizens' tolerance toward burden decreases with every additional administrative encounter and that previous research has missed an important distinction between absolute and relative burden.
{"title":"Do Vulnerable Citizens (Really) Perceive Higher Bureaucracy Costs? Testing a Key Claim of the Administrative Burden Framework","authors":"Rick Vogel, Anne Dahlweg, Fabian Hattke","doi":"10.1111/puar.13932","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13932","url":null,"abstract":"A key claim of the administrative burden framework is that vulnerable citizens are more affected by administrative burden than others. We test this assumption using the life events survey in Germany, an official data record covering more than 10,000 administrative encounters involving more than 5000 citizens. We find support only for the psychological costs of perceived discrimination, whereas neither compliance nor learning costs are positively associated with vulnerability. On the contrary, some vulnerable groups perceive significantly <i>lower</i> learning and compliance costs. Post hoc analyses suggest that these groups might feel less exposed to bureaucracy because they use fewer sources of information. Further, the results also indicate that citizens' tolerance toward burden decreases with every additional administrative encounter and that previous research has missed an important distinction between absolute and relative burden.","PeriodicalId":48431,"journal":{"name":"Public Administration Review","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143044696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Great Gatsby and the Global SouthBy Diding Sakri, Andy Sumner, Arief Anshory Yusuf, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2023. 75 pp. $22.00 (paperback). ISBN 9781009382724","authors":"Muhammad Husein Heikal, Sandi Asep Ramdani","doi":"10.1111/puar.13936","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13936","url":null,"abstract":"<h2>1 Conflicts of Interest</h2>\u0000<p>The authors declare no conflicts of interest.</p>","PeriodicalId":48431,"journal":{"name":"Public Administration Review","volume":"206 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143044699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Drawing on the literature on bureaucratic discretion, this study conducts a large-scale, nationwide causal analysis of the effects of body-worn cameras (BWC) in the United States (US). It employs a staggered difference-in-differences (DiD) approach using 12 years of panel data (2008–2019) covering 697 local police agencies. The findings indicate that BWC adoption had no significant effect on White arrests but led to an approximately 5.5% decrease in Black arrests. Importantly, the reduction in Black arrests was concentrated in alcohol-related cases, which involve considerable officer discretion, but did not extend to cases categorized as more serious public safety threats, such as violent or property crimes, where officer discretion may be more limited. Meanwhile, there was also a 7.7% increase in White arrests related to weapon offenses, aligning with prior studies that suggest BWCs may serve as a tool for evidence collection. Our findings provide insight into how BWCs have influenced police arrests in the US, advancing beyond previous single-case evaluations.
{"title":"Body-worn cameras, police arrests, and bureaucratic discretion: A large-scale causal analysis across the United States","authors":"Andrea M. Headley, Daniel B. Baker, Inkyu Kang","doi":"10.1111/puar.13927","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13927","url":null,"abstract":"Drawing on the literature on bureaucratic discretion, this study conducts a large-scale, nationwide causal analysis of the effects of body-worn cameras (BWC) in the United States (US). It employs a staggered difference-in-differences (DiD) approach using 12 years of panel data (2008–2019) covering 697 local police agencies. The findings indicate that BWC adoption had no significant effect on White arrests but led to an approximately 5.5% decrease in Black arrests. Importantly, the reduction in Black arrests was concentrated in alcohol-related cases, which involve considerable officer discretion, but did not extend to cases categorized as more serious public safety threats, such as violent or property crimes, where officer discretion may be more limited. Meanwhile, there was also a 7.7% increase in White arrests related to weapon offenses, aligning with prior studies that suggest BWCs may serve as a tool for evidence collection. Our findings provide insight into how BWCs have influenced police arrests in the US, advancing beyond previous single-case evaluations.","PeriodicalId":48431,"journal":{"name":"Public Administration Review","volume":"32 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143044702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Limited awareness impedes take-up in low-income utility assistance programs, which often suffer from low uptake. This study uses a field experiment to evaluate direct mail as a means of reducing learning burdens and thereby increasing participation in financial assistance programs offered by a large American sewer utility. Employing a conjoint design, we sent customers mailings that varied by medium (postcard vs. letter), frequency, color, sender (government vs. nonprofit), message framing (percentage discount vs. dollar savings), and language (English vs. English-Spanish). Compared to the control group receiving no mail, direct mail significantly increased program inquiries. Notably, postcards were as effective as letters, and sending even one mailing yielded a substantial response increase; additional mailings provided minimal benefit. Sender and message framing had no significant effect. Surprisingly, bilingual mailings resulted in slightly lower response rates. Our findings suggest that direct mailings, particularly postcards, can help improve take-up of income-qualified public assistance programs.
{"title":"Medium and Message by Mail: A Field Experiment to Promote Low-Income Assistance Programs","authors":"Manuel P. Teodoro, Jean Smith","doi":"10.1111/puar.13931","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13931","url":null,"abstract":"Limited awareness impedes take-up in low-income utility assistance programs, which often suffer from low uptake. This study uses a field experiment to evaluate direct mail as a means of reducing learning burdens and thereby increasing participation in financial assistance programs offered by a large American sewer utility. Employing a conjoint design, we sent customers mailings that varied by medium (postcard vs. letter), frequency, color, sender (government vs. nonprofit), message framing (percentage discount vs. dollar savings), and language (English vs. English-Spanish). Compared to the control group receiving no mail, direct mail significantly increased program inquiries. Notably, postcards were as effective as letters, and sending even one mailing yielded a substantial response increase; additional mailings provided minimal benefit. Sender and message framing had no significant effect. Surprisingly, bilingual mailings resulted in slightly lower response rates. Our findings suggest that direct mailings, particularly postcards, can help improve take-up of income-qualified public assistance programs.","PeriodicalId":48431,"journal":{"name":"Public Administration Review","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143026651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Amy E. Smith, Norma M. Riccucci, Kimberley R. Isett, Leisha DeHart-Davis, Rebekah St. Clair Sims
Publishing is a source of capital and power in academia, and coauthoring is a common way to publish. However, studies in public administration have not yet examined the structure of coauthorship patterns, how these patterns have evolved over time, or the extent to which these patterns are gendered. We use bibliometric data to examine coauthorship in public administration scholarship over four decades with a particular focus on gendered patterns. Descriptive statistics, regression, and social network analysis suggest that when women are first authors, the research team is more likely to contain other women and while women are increasingly represented in coauthorship structures, men-only groups of coauthors continue to persist. These findings have implications for the coauthoring practices of individual scholars, perceptions of coauthorship in hiring, tenure, and promotion decisions, and efforts in the field to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
{"title":"Where power and scholarship collide: Gender and coauthorship in public administration research","authors":"Amy E. Smith, Norma M. Riccucci, Kimberley R. Isett, Leisha DeHart-Davis, Rebekah St. Clair Sims","doi":"10.1111/puar.13923","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13923","url":null,"abstract":"Publishing is a source of capital and power in academia, and coauthoring is a common way to publish. However, studies in public administration have not yet examined the structure of coauthorship patterns, how these patterns have evolved over time, or the extent to which these patterns are gendered. We use bibliometric data to examine coauthorship in public administration scholarship over four decades with a particular focus on gendered patterns. Descriptive statistics, regression, and social network analysis suggest that when women are first authors, the research team is more likely to contain other women and while women are increasingly represented in coauthorship structures, men-only groups of coauthors continue to persist. These findings have implications for the coauthoring practices of individual scholars, perceptions of coauthorship in hiring, tenure, and promotion decisions, and efforts in the field to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.","PeriodicalId":48431,"journal":{"name":"Public Administration Review","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142981935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Performance information (PI) has received significant attention in public administration research. However, evaluating the impact of public sector PI on stakeholders is challenging due to varying empirical results. Drawing on information propagation theory, as well as social and cognitive psychology, we conduct a meta-analysis to examine the effect of public sector PI. Using 461 effect sizes from 75 studies, the meta-analysis reveals PI's positive effects on stakeholder attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions of performance. Moreover, the effects tend to be stronger when PI is sent by third parties, received by citizens, delivered with positive valence, presented in absolute forms, and disseminated in law enforcement administrative subfields and in societies characterized by low power distance. The findings reinforce the significance of public sector PI and illuminate the complex interplay between it and stakeholder responses.
{"title":"Does public sector performance information impact stakeholders? Evidence from a meta-analysis","authors":"Xue Meng, Chaoping Li","doi":"10.1111/puar.13924","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13924","url":null,"abstract":"Performance information (PI) has received significant attention in public administration research. However, evaluating the impact of public sector PI on stakeholders is challenging due to varying empirical results. Drawing on information propagation theory, as well as social and cognitive psychology, we conduct a meta-analysis to examine the effect of public sector PI. Using 461 effect sizes from 75 studies, the meta-analysis reveals PI's positive effects on stakeholder attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions of performance. Moreover, the effects tend to be stronger when PI is sent by third parties, received by citizens, delivered with positive valence, presented in absolute forms, and disseminated in law enforcement administrative subfields and in societies characterized by low power distance. The findings reinforce the significance of public sector PI and illuminate the complex interplay between it and stakeholder responses.","PeriodicalId":48431,"journal":{"name":"Public Administration Review","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142981936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Building on recent advances in crowdsourcing research, we argue that, when using crowdsourcing, governments should accurately select the crowd they wish to engage with, depending on the problem to be solved. While targeting a large crowd may be common, it is not always the most appropriate: it can waste significant resources without necessarily producing satisfactory results. We contend that the nature of the problem should determine the crowdsourcing strategy. We propose a typology of problems based on their scope and technicity: specific nontechnical, specific technical, broad nontechnical, and broad technical. We introduce the main crowdsourcing strategies—fishing, hunting, and collective production—explain the rationale for each, and offer a practitioner's perspective on their costs and benefits. We then discuss how each strategy is suited for solving diverse problems and propose guidelines for governments on using crowdsourcing more effectively.
{"title":"Choosing the right crowdsourcing strategy: Implications for governments' crowdsourcing initiatives","authors":"Ana Colovic, Mehdi Bagherzadeh, Jean‐Louis Liévin","doi":"10.1111/puar.13917","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13917","url":null,"abstract":"Building on recent advances in crowdsourcing research, we argue that, when using crowdsourcing, governments should accurately select the crowd they wish to engage with, depending on the problem to be solved. While targeting a large crowd may be common, it is not always the most appropriate: it can waste significant resources without necessarily producing satisfactory results. We contend that the nature of the problem should determine the crowdsourcing strategy. We propose a typology of problems based on their scope and technicity: specific nontechnical, specific technical, broad nontechnical, and broad technical. We introduce the main crowdsourcing strategies—fishing, hunting, and collective production—explain the rationale for each, and offer a practitioner's perspective on their costs and benefits. We then discuss how each strategy is suited for solving diverse problems and propose guidelines for governments on using crowdsourcing more effectively.","PeriodicalId":48431,"journal":{"name":"Public Administration Review","volume":"40 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142961436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The current study contributes to practice in interagency performance management through a study of the system of federal grants awarded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to local Continuum of Care (CoC). The mixed methods design synthesizes a multivariate analysis of the relationship between grantee performance and funding levels, a national survey of CoCs and follow‐up interviews with CoC administrators. Findings reveal little association between reported improvements in system‐level performance and annual funding amounts awarded to CoCs. Nevertheless, interviews reveal that the system has fostered commitment to use of data and performance management practices. The study suggests that intergovernmental performance systems should address issues of capacity and be more attuned to the context in which grant recipients work to attain measurable goals. In particular, the value of the performance system is less a carrot/stick relationship between principals and agents, and more a communicative opportunity for federal entities and localities regarding local achievements and constraints.
{"title":"Promoting performance in multilevel governance and delivery of homelessness services","authors":"Jordy Coutin, Juliet Musso, J. Woody Stanley","doi":"10.1111/puar.13926","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13926","url":null,"abstract":"The current study contributes to practice in interagency performance management through a study of the system of federal grants awarded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to local Continuum of Care (CoC). The mixed methods design synthesizes a multivariate analysis of the relationship between grantee performance and funding levels, a national survey of CoCs and follow‐up interviews with CoC administrators. Findings reveal little association between reported improvements in system‐level performance and annual funding amounts awarded to CoCs. Nevertheless, interviews reveal that the system has fostered commitment to use of data and performance management practices. The study suggests that intergovernmental performance systems should address issues of capacity and be more attuned to the context in which grant recipients work to attain measurable goals. In particular, the value of the performance system is less a carrot/stick relationship between principals and agents, and more a communicative opportunity for federal entities and localities regarding local achievements and constraints.","PeriodicalId":48431,"journal":{"name":"Public Administration Review","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142961437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Legitimacy is a central concern for independent agencies tasked with shaping policies. While expertise-based and reputation-sourced authority bases are assumed to be relevant for agency legitimacy, their individual and joint effects on citizens' perceptions lack comprehensive examination. To address this gap, the study integrates insights from bureaucratic politics, bureaucratic reputation, and cognitive psychology. Our survey experiment with Dutch citizens, focusing on the European Food Safety Authority, suggests that expertise-based authority positively affects perceived agency legitimacy, while a negative reputation has detrimental effects. Furthermore, expertise-based authority moderates the impact of reputation, amplifying positive effects and mitigating negative ones. This implies that agencies are more susceptible to reputational threats when they lack expertise-based authority. The study advances the theoretical tenets of bureaucratic reputation theory and offers effective strategies for agencies to strengthen their legitimacy among the most critical audience in democratic political systems—citizens.
{"title":"Citizens' perceptions of the legitimacy of independent agencies: The effects of expertise-based and reputation-sourced authority","authors":"Dovilė Rimkutė, Honorata Mazepus","doi":"10.1111/puar.13916","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13916","url":null,"abstract":"Legitimacy is a central concern for independent agencies tasked with shaping policies. While expertise-based and reputation-sourced authority bases are assumed to be relevant for agency legitimacy, their individual and joint effects on citizens' perceptions lack comprehensive examination. To address this gap, the study integrates insights from bureaucratic politics, bureaucratic reputation, and cognitive psychology. Our survey experiment with Dutch citizens, focusing on the European Food Safety Authority, suggests that expertise-based authority positively affects perceived agency legitimacy, while a negative reputation has detrimental effects. Furthermore, expertise-based authority moderates the impact of reputation, amplifying positive effects and mitigating negative ones. This implies that agencies are more susceptible to reputational threats when they lack expertise-based authority. The study advances the theoretical tenets of bureaucratic reputation theory and offers effective strategies for agencies to strengthen their legitimacy among the most critical audience in democratic political systems—citizens.","PeriodicalId":48431,"journal":{"name":"Public Administration Review","volume":"74 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142917406","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The problem of “horizontal neglect” is fundamental to decentralization. However, while individual local authorities may lack incentives to consider the benefits and costs that their actions have on others, they are not always indifferent to these spillover effects. The study focuses on a clear case of horizontal neglect, namely the tendency of local authorities to overspend prior to merging. By employing a survey experiment involving Norwegian local elected officials, the article demonstrates that horizontal neglect can be alleviated through informal institutions, specifically through prosocial norms and the framing of decisions in a way that encourages officials to consider the impact on other jurisdictions. Priming local politicians with reminders of their broader responsibilities reduces both horizontal neglect and the overspending effect of social norms that stem from local politicians’ opposition to the merger of their own municipality.
{"title":"Reducing horizontal neglect in local government: The role of informal institutions","authors":"Jostein Askim, Kurt Houlberg, Søren Serritzlew","doi":"10.1111/puar.13925","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13925","url":null,"abstract":"The problem of “horizontal neglect” is fundamental to decentralization. However, while individual local authorities may lack incentives to consider the benefits and costs that their actions have on others, they are not always indifferent to these spillover effects. The study focuses on a clear case of horizontal neglect, namely the tendency of local authorities to overspend prior to merging. By employing a survey experiment involving Norwegian local elected officials, the article demonstrates that horizontal neglect can be alleviated through informal institutions, specifically through prosocial norms and the framing of decisions in a way that encourages officials to consider the impact on other jurisdictions. Priming local politicians with reminders of their broader responsibilities reduces both horizontal neglect and the overspending effect of social norms that stem from local politicians’ opposition to the merger of their own municipality.","PeriodicalId":48431,"journal":{"name":"Public Administration Review","volume":"32 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142887469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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