ABSTRACT
Symbolic representation and bureaucratic reputation both refer to perceptions of government agencies, but few studies have examined how these concepts interact. We employed a survey experiment in a Brazilian favela, a unique audience of vulnerable citizens defined by the intersectionality race, class, and spatial segregation, to probe how citizens perceive agencies with differing reputations (police versus public schools) when the agency leader is more or less representative of the favelados. We find representation enhances procedural justice expectations of the less reputable local police. Our findings highlight the relevance of representation when detrimental citizen-state encounters produce negative reputations for vulnerable citizens.
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Correction Statement
This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.
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André Dantas Cabral
André Dantas Cabral, PhD (2020) from the Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration (EBAPE) at Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), Brazil. His research interests focus in the intersection of bureaucratic representation and reputational studies, as well as political fiscal cycles and state autonomy.
Alketa Peci
Alketa Peci (corresponding author) PhD, is an Associate Professor of Public Management and Government at the Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration (EBAPE) at the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), Brazil. Her research interests relate with the study of bureaucracy and its contemporary transformations, particularly in the Latin American context, focusing on issues such as bureaucratic reputation, representation, autonomous bureaucracies, and collaborative networks. She is the editor-in-chief of the Brazilian Journal of Public Administration.
Gregg G. Van Ryzin
Gregg G. Van Ryzin, PhD, is a professor in the School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA), Rutgers University, Newark, USA. His work applies experimental and behavioural methods to various issues in public management, including citizen satisfaction, coproduction, performance measurement, representative bureaucracy, and organizational behaviour. He is author (with Dahlia Remler) of Research Methods in Practice (SAGE) and editor (with Oliver James and Sebastian Jilke) of Experiments in Public Management Research (Cambridge).