Serving Clients When the Server Crashes : How Frontline Workers Cope with E-Government Challenges

Implementing e-government in the contemporary American state is challenging. E-government places high technical demands on agencies and citizens in an environment of budget austerity and political polarization. Governments developing e-government policies often mobilize frontline workers (also termed street-level bureaucrats) to help citizens. However, we know little about how frontline workers cope in these challenging circumstances. This article fills this gap by examining frontline workers (such as Navigators) implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Based on a qualitative analysis, we find that frontline workers cope by “moving towards clients”: they bend rules, work overtime and collaborate to help clients. They are less inclined to “move away” or “against” clients, for instance via rigid rule following and rationing. In other words, frontline workers try to serve clients, even “when the server crashes.” Concluding, frontline workers can play a vital role for successfully implementing e-government policies