Unraveling Representative Bureaucracy

2012/10/01 by Brandy Kennedy, Brandy A. Kennedy · 7 citations
Business, Management and Accounting · Social Sciences · #Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering #Political Influence and Corporate Strategies #Public Policy and Administration Research

paper · doi:10.1177/0095399712459724

openalex publication_date 2012/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23

Abstract

Scholars have provided great theoretical insight and empirical understanding to the concept of representative bureaucracy, documenting the changing makeup of the civil service and demonstrating the importance of representative bureaucracy toward democratic governance. Yet, important questions remain. What specifically does bureaucratic representation mean? Is descriptive representation necessary for policy representation? What characteristics are important? How do we measure representation? Finally, are there any negative effects of representative bureaucracy? This article provides an overview and analysis of the literature focusing on how scholars define and measure representative bureaucracy. Efforts are made to emphasize achievements and highlight areas that need attention.

Citations

• Structure and Discretion: Missing Links in Representative Bureaucracy
• Street-Level Bureaucracy: Dilemmas of the Individual in Public Services

Cited by

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• Does symbolic representation matter? A meta‐analysis of the passive‐symbolic representation link
• Intersectional Encounters, Representative Bureaucracy, and the Routine Traffic Stop
• Race, Lived Experience, Representation, and Discrimination: Analyzing the Representative Capacities of the Racial Majority

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