How some states deliver via bureaucratic norms
Hindustan TimesNew Delhi: Over the decades, India has developed a reputation for having a strong society but a weak state. University of Oxford political scientist Akshay Mangla used the example of police officers seeking to enforce the rule of law on the streets as a classic illustration of the power of norms. Last week, Mangla joined host Milan Vaishnav on the Grand Tamasha podcast, a joint production of HT and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to elaborate on his new book, Making Bureaucracy Work: Norms, Education and Public Service Delivery in Rural India. They help officials do the work of making sense of the rules.” Mangla used the example of police officers seeking to enforce the rule of law on the streets as a classic illustration of the power of norms. Whether I should respond as an officer to a particular complaint, whether I should go and investigate that event, or whether I should file charges — much of that is going to be based on what the police officer thinks are the prevailing expectations and the norms of the police institution of which he is a part.” In short, Mangla says, norms fill part of the gap between laws and their execution.
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