This foundational article develops the concept of administrative burden, defining it as the learning, psychological, and compliance costs individuals face when interacting with government, and argues that these burdens are often shaped by political choices.
Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory
mRelief is a nonprofit that helps individuals in all 53 U.S. states and territories determine SNAP eligibility and apply using easy-to-use web and text tools. Their simplified, inclusive approach has supported over 2.7 million people and unlocked over $1 billion in benefits, focusing on minimizing barriers and adapting eligibility rules across states.
This paper describes results from fieldwork conducted at a social services site where the workers evaluate citizens' applications for food and medical assistance submitted via an e-government system. These results suggest value tensions that result - not from different stakeholders with different values - but from differences among how stakeholders enact the same shared value in practice.
CHI '14: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
This 2015 project presentation outlines the vision, research, and product requirements for DAHLIA, San Francisco’s online platform to centralize and simplify affordable housing searches and applications.
San Francisco Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development
This brief outlines research recommendations to strengthen child welfare services for LGBT youth and adults, focusing on experiences of maltreatment, foster care, and adoption.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
This brief outlines research recommendations to better understand and improve income support and employment services for low-income and at-risk LGBT populations.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
This brief provides research recommendations to improve programs serving LGBT youth, focusing on homelessness and sexual health education services funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
This report examines the phenomenon of "churn" in public benefit programs, where eligible participants temporarily lose benefits due to administrative processes, analyzing its impact on both recipients and state agencies, and suggesting strategies to reduce its occurrence.