Controlling Administrative Discretion Promotes Social Equity? Evidence from a Natural Experiment
Year: 2016
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Although social equity has been a formal pillar of public administration for decades, identifying mechanisms through which public officials inadvertently reproduce unfair conditions remains a relevant topic. In particular, it is important to understand how the habits and practices of street‐level bureaucrats may result in an unjust allocation of public resources. This article provides evidence on how the administrative discretion conferred on school principals may result in an efficient but unfair condition regarding the allocation of students across schools, thus undermining social equity. By exploiting a natural experiment, we are able to provide reliable evidence on how controlling administrative discretion decreases the segregation of students based on their socioeconomic status.
Source: Public Administration Review
DOI: 10.1111/puar.12590
Institution: Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2471506011