Abstract
Theory: Open systems theories of administration suggest that implementation of a federal policy should reflect the systematic effects of state-level conditions on bureaucratic discretion. Hypotheses: Usage of the good cause exemption in the child support enforcement program will vary systematically across states depending on the internal and environmental characteristics of state bureaucracies. Methods: A pooled time-series model is used to analyze patterns of exemption in the fifty states for 1990 through 1992. Results: Discretionary use of the good cause exemption is systematically affected by partisan control of state governments, the values of state administrators, the funding decisions of elected officials, and the levels of demand placed on the bureaucracy.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1133-1156 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Journal | American Journal of Political Science |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 1998 |