In Traagency Limitations On Policy Implementation

Abstract

The literature on policy implementation suggests three major reasons for the failure of program personnel in public bureaucracies to implement policy as expected by upper-level administrators and legislators: (1) lack of understanding of policy ob jectives, (2) lack of resources or capability, and (3) disagreement with policy ob jectives. Most of the literature, however, also either implicitly or explicitly assumes that policies which are not implemented are the "correct" policies and conclude with observations on how to better control the behavior of policy implementa tion personnel. This article introduces evidence that lower-level personnel do in deed change or ignore policy directives, but do so deliberately and in a manner con sistent with larger system goals. Evidence from a state welfare organization suggests more attention to the reasons for deviation from official regulations and more dis cretionary authority for lower-level personnel.