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Research Article
Open Access

Introduction: Administrative Burden as a Mechanism of Inequality in Policy Implementation

Pamela Herd, Hilary Hoynes, Jamila Michener, Donald Moynihan
RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences September 2023, 9 (4) 1-30; DOI: https://doi.org/10.7758/RSF.2023.9.4.01
Pamela Herd
aDistinguished Professor of Public Policy at Georgetown University, United States
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Hilary Hoynes
bProfessor of economics and public policy and Haas Distinguished Chair of Economic Disparities at the University of California–Berkeley, United States
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Jamila Michener
cAssociate professor of government and public policy at Cornell University, United States
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Donald Moynihan
dMcCourt Chair of Public Policy at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, United States.1
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RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences: 9 (4)
RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences
Vol. 9, Issue 4
1 Sep 2023
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Introduction: Administrative Burden as a Mechanism of Inequality in Policy Implementation
Pamela Herd, Hilary Hoynes, Jamila Michener, Donald Moynihan
RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences Sep 2023, 9 (4) 1-30; DOI: 10.7758/RSF.2023.9.4.01

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Introduction: Administrative Burden as a Mechanism of Inequality in Policy Implementation
Pamela Herd, Hilary Hoynes, Jamila Michener, Donald Moynihan
RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences Sep 2023, 9 (4) 1-30; DOI: 10.7758/RSF.2023.9.4.01
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  • Article
    • Abstract
    • ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN AS A KEY PART OF POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
    • LEARNING COSTS
    • COMPLIANCE COSTS
    • PSYCHOLOGICAL COSTS
    • THE EFFECTS OF ADMINISTRATIVE BURDENS
    • BURDENS HAVE LARGE EFFECTS ON ACCESS TO RIGHTS AND PUBLIC SERVICES
    • BURDENS FACILITATE SOCIAL CONTROL
    • BURDENS REINFORCE INEQUALITY
    • PEOPLE WITH FEWER RESOURCES ARE LESS EQUIPPED TO MANAGE BURDENS
    • THE EFFECTS OF BURDENS ACCUMULATE OVER TIME
    • SOURCES OF ADMINISTRATIVE BURDENS
    • BURDENS ARE POLICYMAKING BY OTHER MEANS
    • POLICY DESIGN MATTERS, BUT UNIVERSALISM IS NOT A SUFFICIENT FIX
    • BUREAUCRACIES ARE NOT NATURALLY INCLINED TO DETECT AND MINIMIZE BURDEN
    • THE FEDERATED AND FRAGMENTED NATURE OF U.S. POLICY IMPLEMENTATION ENHANCES BURDENS
    • THIRD PARTIES CAN BUFFER OR AMPLIFY BURDENS
    • TOWARD SIMPLE, ACCESSIBLE, AND RESPECTFUL GOVERNMENT
    • ADMINISTRATIVE DATA AND TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP, WITH CAVEATS
    • NUDGES ARE NOT ENOUGH TO REDUCE BURDENS; SOMETIMES HELP IS NEEDED
    • PRACTICAL BURDEN-REDUCTION POLICY FRAMEWORKS ARE EMERGING
    • CONCLUSION: SOCIAL SCIENCE CAN CONTINUE TO PLAY AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN REDUCING BURDENS
    • FOOTNOTES
    • REFERENCES
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  • References
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Keywords

  • social safety net
  • administrative burdens
  • welfare state

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