Economics
Bureaucratic Discretion and Street-Level Implementation of Welfare Policies
Quick fact
When U.S. unemployment insurance offices experienced random assignment of caseworkers, benefit receipt varied by as much as 20 percentage points, purely due to which caseworker handled the claim.
Why this is interesting
You and your neighbor apply for the same welfare benefit, fill out the same forms, and meet the same written criteria—but one of you gets approved and the other denied. Why?