The Street-Level Bureaucrats – an Analysis on the Future of the Romanian Front-Line Public Services

Abstract

The study focuses on street-level bureaucrats in Romania and on their activity within public services. In this paper we will describe how the issue of discretionary power is tackle in emergency situations and the theoretical framework in the area. The general hypothesis of our research is that among different street-level bureaucracy there are necessary and well-protected relations. Within the paper we have started a comprehensive analysis of the desirability of the interactions among street-level, screen-level and system-level bureaucracies and of the relationship with the citizens as clients. Moreover, for a deeper understanding of how system-level bureaucracy works we will emphasize how streetlevel bureaucrats incorporate new technologies and practices in their procedures. Based on the investigated theoretical framework of street-level bureaucrats, in this material we will provide supportive evidence for the claim that improving bureaucratic accountability is not only about defining it but also about the “fear of discretion”.