Religion and public administration at the micro level: The lens of street‐level bureaucracy theory in democracies

Abstract

The dynamics between religion and state in public administration implementation theories has garnered scholarly interest over the past decade. However, these two realms of study are rarely combined. In this research note, I explore religion and, more specifically, the implementation of religion‐based policies by street‐level bureaucrats, as a public service like any other. I point to the more commonly studied aspect of this realm, namely the influence of personal religious tendencies on the exercise of discretion by the individual street‐level bureaucrat. Further, I discuss the supply of religion‐based services by street‐level bureaucrats in democracies, and the actions they are willing to take (such as promote co‐production or policy entrepreneurship) when religion constraints them from supplying certain public services.Points for practitioners Street‐level bureaucrats are influenced by their religious perceptions during policy implementation. These workers may also be constrained by religion‐based policies during implementation, hence provide inadequate public services or not supplying them at all. Citizens may be dissatisfied with the inadequate services and the burdens it imposes on their lives. Street‐level bureaucrats who cannot supply certain services due to religion‐based constraints may take on co‐production or policy entrepreneurship strategies outside the standard scope of their job description in order to supply them.