In times of severe international crises, such as wars and terrorist attacks, citizens tend to ‘rally around the flag’ increase their support for political leaders. We ask if rallying effects identified in literature extend societal lockdowns response COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19-related differ from crises studied existing because they are crisis responses with immediate negative on economy. Using daily right before after announcement Danish lockdown March 11, 2020, we study trust democratic...

Responding to COVID-19 presents unprecedented challenges for public sector practitioners. Addressing those requires knowledge about the problems that workers face. This Viewpoint essay argues timely, up-to-date surveys of are essential tools identifying problems, resolving bottlenecks, and enabling operate effectively during in response posed by pandemic. Survey Public Servants, which is currently being rolled out several countries Global Servants Consortium assist governments strategically...

Research on bureaucracy and corruption tends to concentrate cross‐national research taking countries as the unit of analysis. Yet national‐level measures neglect large differences within countries. This article therefore takes perspective individual bureaucrats. It studies how public officials' experience with bureaucratic institutions affects their sphere work. Based a survey central government officials in five post‐communist states, examines servants' views civil service laws, quality...

Public service motivation (PSM) and ethical behavior are central concerns in public administration. Yet, experimental evidence on the causes of causal effects PSM remains scarce, curtailing our understanding both. This article draws a novel survey design to improve this understanding. The is based simple insight: asking about can render salient PSM-oriented identities respondents. By randomizing order outcome questions, may be exogenously activated among respondents, activation assessed....

Abstract State actions impact the lives of citizens in general and government benefit recipients particular. However, little is known about whether experiences psychological costs among can be relieved by reducing compliance demands interactions with state. Across three studies, we provide evidence that causes relief. In a survey experiment, show experienced Danish unemployment insurance change response to information actual reduced demands. two field exploit data collected around sudden,...

Abstract Recent years have seen a dramatic growth in the study of frictions that individuals experience, especially their interactions with public sector, creating both potential for new research opportunities and conceptual confusion. We seek to head off latter by providing, one place, definition, description development, comparison four dominant conceptions frictions: ordeal mechanisms, red tape, administrative burden, sludge. In particular, we discuss concepts' definitions use terms...

Numerous studies have linked a range of economic, social, and institutional variables with corruption in government. Yet, most this literature overlooks the management public officials themselves. This is relevant omission: almost all corrupt exchanges involve officials. article reviews studies—36 total—that do address civil service anti‐corruption. It finds that prior works assess narrow set structures. Meritocratic recruitment and, less robustly, pay levels been associated lower...

Abstract Democratic backsliding has multiplied “unprincipled” political principals: governments with weak commitment to the public interest. Why do some bureaucrats engage in voice and guerrilla sabotage thwart policies against interest under “unprincipled principals,” yet others not? Despite its centrality contemporary governance, this conundrum not seen quantitative research. We address gap survey evidence from 1,700 Brazilian servants during Temer Presidency, widely perceived lack...

Abstract Do management practices have similar anticorruption effects in OECD and developing countries? Despite prominent cautions against “New Zealand” reforms which enhance managerial discretion countries, scholars not assessed this question statistically. Our article addresses gap through a conjoint experiment with 6,500 public servants three countries one country. assesses Weberian relative to approaches recruitment, job stability, pay. We argue that institutionalized corruption weak rule...

Abstract Research on street‐level bureaucracy argues that factors such as stress and burnout affect the behaviors of bureaucrats toward clients. At same time, literature administrative burdens citizens face a series costs when they experience policy implementation onerous. We draw both literatures to theorize ways in which bureaucrats' behavioral responses states may influence client experiences burden. Using multilevel dataset unemployment counselors benefit recipients from 53 departments...

Abstract How can governments manage civil servants to enhance public service motivation (PSM)? Despite the centrality of PSM in administration research, effects management practices on remain understudied. We address this gap through a conjoint experiment with 7,300 five countries Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Our assesses two practices: merit‐based competitions for recruitment versus discretionary appointments; permanent tenure temporary job contracts. find that merit are...

Public service motivation (PSM) is a core concept in public administration, studied surveys across numerous countries. Whether these studies accumulate comparable knowledge about PSM crucially depends on measurement invariance: that has similar structure different national contexts. Yet, large-scale cross-country research to address this conundrum remains scant. Drawing an original survey of 23,000 servants ten countries Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa, our paper addresses...

What is the effect of disciplinary codes and ethics on containing corruption in civil service? We assess whether both tools are effective they interact to reinforce each other. Using a unique survey central government servants from Poland, we find that, where applied practice, other contain kickbacks as one form service. By contrast, their own not strongly associated with ministries. The paper concludes that anti-corruption work most effectively when managers have multiple consistently...

Abstract Education is at the center of theories how bureaucracies professionalize. Going back to Weber, process toward a capable and professional bureaucracy has been viewed as driven by entry well‐educated, recruits. We argue that this perspective misses important dynamics within professionalizing bureaucracies—in particular, bureaucrats inside government react when Building on insight, we incumbent face incentives acquire greater expertise educated entrants arrive, in order remain...

Despite an explicit focus on citizens' experiences with public service, research administrative burden has done little to show how burdensome affect citizen's psychological beliefs. This limits our understanding of burdens and their impact in policy. Through a survey experiment 1.116 unemployment insurance fund beneficiaries Denmark, we test whether activating impressions from onerous the system affects beliefs central job search (un)employment: locus control attribution responsibility. We...

Recent years has seen dramatic growth to the study of frictions that individuals experience, especially in their interactions with public sector, creating both potential for new research opportunities and conceptual confusion. We seek head off latter by providing, one place, a definition, description development, comparison four dominant conceptions frictions: ordeal mechanisms, red tape, administrative burden, sludge. In particular, we discuss concepts' definition use terms objectivity,...

Abstract Understanding how public administrations around the world function and differ is crucial for strengthening their effectiveness. Most comparative measures of bureaucracy rely on surveys experts, households, or firms, rather than directly questioning bureaucrats. Direct officials create granular data analysis government action, so are becoming a cornerstone sector management. This article introduces Global Survey Public Servants (GSPS), global initiative to collect harmonize...

In recent decades, public service provision has become increasingly digitalized. However, while digitalization and artificial intelligence holds many promises, there is surprisingly little causal evidence on how it affects the employees who provide such services in frontline. Based cognitive social psychological theories, we argue that IT projects can increase employees' cynicism towards change fatigue. liaison with a Danish unemployment insurance fund, test our hypotheses pre-registered...

Abstract Numerous studies associate ethical leadership with behavior in the public sector. By contrast, effects of unethical sector have largely not been explored. Yet, need beget followership. Instead, we theorize that some bureaucrats may perceive as a moral threat and respond to it compensation greater behavior. We provide evidence for our theorized effect through vignette experiment 19,852 Chile. Bureaucrats exposed role modeling by their superior or peers react awareness intent. This is...

The combined usage of qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) and process tracing (PT) in set-theoretic multi-method research (MMR) holds great potential for reaching valid inferences. Established views case selection after QCA hold that studying negative cases provides lessons about the causes an outcome a limited set circumstances. In particular, recommendations focus on only if they contradict or suitably similar positive match exist to leverage comparisons. By contrast, I argue MMR can...

Abstract Why do some bureaucrats engage in corruption for personal gain, yet others political gain? We show that these forms of frequently not coincide and offer an explanation: hired based on connections have different identities incentives which compel them to gain respectively. List experiments with a unique sample 6400 five countries Africa Asia support our argument. As theoretically expected, effects are strongest whose patrons remain power (for gain) who need gains sustain their...

Abstract Public service delivery by African states is often characterized as particularist, favoring ethnic, personal or political networks of those inside the state over universalist, pro-social services to citizens. One explanation for particularist focuses on societal patronage norms, with “Big Men” providing members their networks. Despite prominence this line reasoning and anecdotal prevalence in politics society, hardly any research has quantitatively assessed effects “big man”...