國立臺灣大學政治科學論叢

Abstract / Chinese PDF Download

According to modern theories of representative bureaucracy, the social composition of bureaucrats (passive representation) can influence policy outcomes via the values and actions of bureaucrats (active representation), and can also produce a sense of trust, cooperation, and obedience among citizens who share social origins, thereby resulting in citizen cooperation and the production of more effective policy outcomes (symbolic representation). This article expands on the theoretical discourse at the levels of “street-level bureaucrats” and “administrative behavior”. In-depth interviews were conducted with members of the general public and with street-level bureaucrats from general administrative agencies and Hakka administrative agencies that were promoting the Hakka Revitalization Plan in Taoyuan City.

The research goal was to investigate the discretion and the salience of the identity exhibited by street-level bureaucrats when providing services and reviewing applications, to analyze the public’s trust in and behavior toward street-level bureaucrats, and to discover how these two aspects collectively reflect the appraisal of the plan’s outcomes. The research findings are as follows: 1. The street-level bureaucrats from both general administrative agencies and Hakka administrative agencies were capable of transforming passive representation into the values and actions of active representation. However, they did not clearly express a positive appraisal of the policy outcomes. 2. Among the public, general administrative agencies symbolized a low level of representation, whereas the Hakka administrative agencies symbolized a considerable level of representation. 3. The active representation of general administrative agencies and Hakka administrative agencies was based on different factors. 4. The bureaucratic representation of Hakka administrative agencies demonstrated the compliance-oriented nature of the Hakka Revitalization Plan. In this article, it is argued that although Taiwanese Hakka street-level bureaucratic representation can manifest as compliance politics, the appraisal of positive policy outcomes and the function of democratic governance cannot be overlooked. According to the findings, this article suggests that the Taiwanese government should not only increase the proportion and training of Hakka street-level bureaucrats in Hakka Cultural Regions, but also empower the Hakka third sector.