Trust at the Ground Level of Government: Its Role in the Work of Street-Level Bureaucrats

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Maayan Davidovitz (Tel Aviv University) Nissim Cohen (University of Haifa)

Trust at the Ground Level of Government

Name: Trust at the Ground Level of Government
Price: 233.54 AUD
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ISBN: 9798855807455

Its Role in the Work of Street-Level Bureaucrats

Maayan Davidovitz (Tel Aviv University), Nissim Cohen (University of Haifa)

$291.95 $233.54

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

State University of New York Press
01 June 2026

Social theory; Social work; Public administration; Central government policies

Reveals how trust—built, broken, and rebuilt—shapes the everyday work of frontline public servants and the quality of the relationship between citizens and the state.

Trust at the Ground Level of Government moves beyond abstract theory to show how trust is built, lost, and rebuilt in real-world settings. Drawing on rich narratives and interviews, Maayan Davidovitz and Nissim Cohen demonstrate how trust influences service delivery, client treatment, and the ways frontline, street-level bureaucrats cope with pressure and uncertainty. The book underscores that their trust in those within their work environment may define and shape the delicate relationships between public servants on the front lines and the citizens they serve. The resulting attitudes on both sides may have far-reaching consequences for the fragile relationship between the state and society. Based on six years of fieldwork in Israel, Trust at the Ground Level of Government offers a unique look into the emotional and professional challenges facing these frontline civil servants. It reveals how trust, often taken for granted, can shape decisions, relationships, and ultimately the success or failure of public policies. Whether you are a policymaker, public servant, scholar, or concerned citizen, this book provides new insights into how government functions on the ground and why trust is at the heart of it all.

By: Maayan Davidovitz (Tel Aviv University), Nissim Cohen (University of Haifa)
Imprint: State University of New York Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 408g
ISBN: 9798855807455
Pages: 226
Publication Date: 01 June 2026
Audience: Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , General/trade , Undergraduate , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

List of Illustrations Preface Introduction 1. Street-Level Bureaucracy 2. Why Trust? 3. The Context 4. Trust and the Citizen-Client 5. Trust and the System Concluding Remarks Appendix: Methodology and Field Work References Index

Maayan Davidovitz is Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Education, Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities, Tel Aviv University, Israel. Nissim Cohen is Professor of Public Administration and Policy and the head of the School of Political Sciences at the University of Haifa, Israel. He is the author of Policy Entrepreneurship at the Street Level: Understanding the Effect of the Individual.

Reviews for Trust at the Ground Level of Government: Its Role in the Work of Street-Level Bureaucrats

""Trust is central to human existence, so studying it is not a luxury but a necessity. By focusing on how street level bureaucrats shape and are shaped by trust, the authors provide a roadmap that greatly improves our understanding of modern governance in terms of implementation effectiveness and democratic legitimacy."" — Nikolaos Zahariadis, International Studies, Rhodes College