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Street-level bureaucracy is a term used to refer to a public agency employee who actually performs the actions that implement laws.

Contents 1 Street-level bureaucrats 1.1 Examples of street-level bureaucrats 1.2 Discretionary authority 1.3 Impartiality

[edit] Street-level bureaucrats

[edit] Examples of street-level bureaucrats

Street-level bureaucrats include police officers, firemen, and others who "walk the streets" with regular citizens, and provide services to protect, as well as uphold the laws.

[edit] Discretionary authority

Street-level bureaucrats have what is known as discretionary authority, which is the ability to make decisions on what governmental rules they want to uphold.

This can be an issue, especially with police officers. Their discretionary authority grants them the ability to discriminate against any person they wish, and not be critical of others.

[edit] Impartiality

Impartiality is a quality that is sought after when employing street-level bureaucrats. An impartial street-level bureaucrat will fairly implement the law, and apply it to all citizens, and not just a select few.