Journal of Political Sciences & Public Affairs
Open Access

Abstract

Street Level Bureaucrats as the Ultimate Policy Makers

Zedekia S

This article examines road safety policy implementation process in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. For conceptualization purposes, it has employed the street level bureaucratic theory which is an offshoot of the principal agency theory. The data collection and analysis was guided by cross-sectional study design composed of structured observation, questionnaire survey, and a qualitative approach. It argues that front-line workers in the public service rarely have enough resources to respond to citizens’ demands and execute their legislative mandate. They are therefore forced to ration their services. This is done by developing the broad classification of clients based on their social status. On basis of these categorizations, decisions are made therefore on who to prioritize for service provision. In theory, this triaging practice is meant to increase efficiency and adaptability in street level bureaucracies. However, street level bureaucrats have their own interest that is different from those of policy makers, triaging therefore sometimes undermines policy implementation.