How Street-Level Bureaucrats Collaborate for Policy Entrepreneurship: Insights From Anti-Poverty Policy Implementation in China

Abstract

Despite increasing attention to street-level policy entrepreneurship, it remains unclear what strategies street-level bureaucrats employ during implementation or how their strategies impact policy outcomes. Using China’s Targeted Poverty Alleviation campaign, we argue that street-level policy entrepreneurs construct collaborative arrangements with various local networks to devise innovative solutions. They collaborate with administrative leaders vertically or with citizens horizontally by adopting three strategies: defining mutual interests, building trust, and leveraging resources. Vertical collaboration contributes to effective policy outcomes and formal upward accountability, while horizontal collaboration improves public responsiveness. This study provides insights into collaborative behaviors of frontline bureaucrats that alleviate rural poverty.