Ineffective policies plague democratic systems and challenge their legitimacy. While existing research highlights the importance of street-level bureaucrats (SLBs) as de facto “policymakers,” our understanding of SLBs' aggregate effects on policy outcomes remains limited. Therefore, this paper proposes a shift in perspective, redirecting attention from the micro level toward institutional structures. It introduces the concept of street-level integration, which captures institutional structures enabling SLBs to form a strong voice of implementation and contribute to policy design through three integrative pathways. Analyzing the effects of street-level integration on environmental outcomes in 21 OECD countries over time, the findings reveal that street-level integration not only directly enhances outcomes through increased implementation performance but also acts as a vital factor for policy formulation increasing the effectiveness of existing and newly adopted policies. While highlighting the importance of institutional structures and SLBs for successful policymaking, the paper also offers practical recommendations for institutional reforms.

中文翻译：

---

实施的声音：探索街道一体化与部门政策成果之间的联系


无效的政策困扰着民主制度并挑战其合法性。尽管现有的研究强调了基层官僚（SLB）作为事实上的“政策制定者”的重要性，但我们对基层官僚对政策结果的总体影响的理解仍然有限。因此，本文提出视角的转变，将注意力从微观层面转向制度结构。它引入了街道层面一体化的概念，该概念体现了使街道办事处能够形成强有力的实施声音并通过三种一体化途径为政策设计做出贡献的制度结构。通过分析 21 个经合组织国家街道层面一体化随着时间的推移对环境成果的影响，研究结果表明，街道层面一体化不仅通过提高实施绩效直接提高成果，而且是政策制定的一个重要因素，提高现有环境的有效性。以及新出台的政策。在强调制度结构和国家法律地位对于成功决策的重要性的同时，本文还为制度改革提供了切实可行的建议。