Lagens byråkrater, en undersökning om domare från närbyråkratiskt perspektiv

Lipsky’s concept of street level bureaucracy has been a central part of political science theory for many years but has been used more for certain professions than others. One of these understudied professions is the judge. The judge was, by Lipsky, included in the group from the very beginning but it seems the field itself has not fully accepted this inclusion. Often the reasoning for this has been the stiffness of the law leading to a lack of discretion. This study aims to show that this is a mistake and by using the tool that is the theory shine new light on both the profession and the categorisation of coping mechanisms that is based upon it. I have through qualitive interviews answered how judges cope with the difficulties created by having the role of a street level bureaucrat. To simplify the categorisation of coping mechanisms I use one of the most cited sources within the field in Tummers et.al. but also expand upon the categorisation with my own findings, explaining what I believe to be a missed type of coping strategy.