As early as the French revolution, people have argued that great responsibility follows inseparably
from great power. This is true for street-level bureaucrats, many of whom wield immense power and
have considerable discretion in how they perform their duties. First, clearly and concisely explain
administrative discretion, as well as its positives and negatives. Second, explain how administrative
discretion exemplifies the tensions between bureaucratic ethos and democratic ethos. Third, describe
two approaches that have potential to help ensure the appropriate exercise of administrative discretion
for street-level bureaucrats. In your response, be sure to support your arguments and make
connections to multiple sections of the course.
1. Lungu, G. F. 1982. “Problems of Administrative Discretion in a Postcolonial State: Lessons from Zambia.” International Review of Administrative Sciences, 48(3-4): 341-349.
2. Mosher, F. C. 1981. “Carl Joachim Friedrich and Herman Finer.” In Basic Literature of American Public Administration 1787-1950, 196-213.
3. Rohr, J. A. 1989. “Regime Values.” In Ethics for Bureaucrats: An Essay on Law and Values, 59-95. (SKIM to identify the main arguments.)
4. Waldo, D. 1980. “Public Administration and Ethics: A Prologue to a Preface.” In The Enterprise of Public Administration: A Summary View, 99-115. (Read in its entirety but focus on pp. 103-106.)
5. Lipsky, M. 1980/2010. “Street-Level Bureaucracy: The Critical Role of Street Level Bureaucrats.” In Classics of Public Administration, 404-411.
