When Bureaucracy Creates Inequality with Gabriela Lotta

Hosts:· Marius R. Busemeyer – Professor of Comparative Political Economy at the University of Konstanz and Speaker of the Cluster of Excellence “The Politics of Inequality”.· Gabriele Spilker – Professor of International Politics – Global Inequality at the University of Konstanz and Co-Speaker of the Cluster.Guest: Gabriela Lotta is a professor of Public Administration and Government at the Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) in São Paulo. She coordinates the Bureaucracy Studies Center, is professor at the National School of Public Administration (ENAP), and researcher at the Center for Metropolitan Studies (CEM). She has advised and trained several Brazilian governments. Her research focuses on public policy, bureaucracy, implementation, and inequalities in public administration.Episode overview:In this episode, we explore why public administration, often perceived as a great equalizer, can nonetheless reproduce or even deepen inequalities. Together with Gabriela Lotta, we discuss the role of street-level bureaucrats – teachers, police officers, social workers, and health workers – who represent the everyday face of the state. How does discretion in bureaucratic practice create both opportunities to reduce inequalities and risks of discrimination? And what can we learn by comparing the Brazilian and German contexts?Episode highlights: Equal treatment vs. equal outcomesWhy uniform rules may disadvantage vulnerable groupsHow intersectionality shapes access to public services  Street-level bureaucracyWho are street-level bureaucrats and why do they matterThe role of discretion: balancing flexibility and fairnessRisks of bias, subjectivity, and unequal treatment  Context mattersSimilarities and differences between Brazil and GermanyThe role of culture, institutions, and communication in bureaucratic encounters  Reducing inequalitiesA more representative bureaucracy that mirrors societyRegulating discretion without eliminating itTraining bureaucrats to prevent stereotypes and discrimination Links and resources· More about the Cluster of Excellence “The Politics of Inequality” at the University of Konstanz.· Further reading: o   Lotta, G., Pires, R., Hill, M., & Møller, M. O. (2022). Recontextualizing street‐level bureaucracy in the developing world. Public Administration and Development, 42(1), 3-10.o   Eiró, F., & Lotta, G. (2024). On the frontline of global inequalities: A decolonial approach to the study of street-level bureaucracies. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 34(1), 67-79.o   Lotta, G. S., Piotrowska, B., & Raaphorst, N. (2024). Introduction “street‐level bureaucracy, populism, and democratic backsliding”. Governance, 37, 5-19.More about the Cluster of Excellence “The Politics of Inequality”Contact: [email protected] New episodes every first Wednesday of the month – subscribe now!