TRA STANDARDIZZAZIONE E DISCREZIONE. Le pratiche giuridiche degli ispettori delle frodi sociali nell’era della condizionalità/Between standardization and discretion. The legal practices of welfare fraud inspectors in the age of conditionality

Abstract

Abstract

This article explores the tension between standardized practices and discretionary power in welfare administration. Based on the case of welfare inspectors in France, it shows that advances in automation and legal frameworks have far from eliminated the room for maneuver of street-level bureaucrats. More than a mere survival or organizational flaw, this discretion contributes to the effectiveness of controls and ever stricter government of the poor.

Keywords:

Street Level Bureaucracy; Standardization; Discretion; Welfare Fraud; Welfare Inspectors.