Navigating Ambiguity: Street-Level Managers Discretion in the Implementation of Religious Policy in Divided Societies

This study explores the intersection of religion and state through a single-case, mixed-methods research design, focusing on Israeli state elementary school principals, who administer religious directives embedded in state legislation. We ask: Under what conditions street-level managers’ discretion in policy implementation increases social satisfaction and cohesion? We argue that such discretion increases social satisfaction and cohesion under the following conditions: (1) When state policies are explicitly or implicitly vague and flexible, (2) When official policy is contested among societal groups, and (3) When street-level managers opt to respond to client preferences. In addition, we suggest that public satisfaction with the resulted public services increases when a manager's personal ideology aligns with client attitudes and expectations. The study demonstrates how principals exercise significant discretion in implementing religious policy and thus contributes to broader public administration literature by highlighting the role of street-level managers in navigating policy ambiguity, while mediating societal tensions.