Does the teaming of career street-level bureaucrats and lay officials promote street-level resolutions that favour the citizens’ claims?

Abstract

Street-level resolutions are reached when street-level bureaucrats resolve disputes between citizens and other state officials. However, little is known about the factors that influence the tendencies in such resolutions to accept the citizens’ claims. Such knowledge is important for exposing street-level bureaucrats’ state or citizen favouritism which can shift the public’s perceptions of those serving at the front lines of governance. This study examines real-world street-level resolutions (administrative lower-court rulings) and finds that those made, jointly or alone, by deciders who are career members of mixed-teams that include non-career lay-official members, have a higher tendency to favour the citizen’s claims.