Secrecy of favoritism raises agency legitimacy while exposure undermines it

Evidence

To the extent that biased coaching remains secret, one would hypothesize that public legitimacy and regard for the agency would increase. No one would perceive himself or herself to be worse off, while some would feel favored. But to the extent that these biases become known or are exposed, they would tend to undermine the agency’s legitimacy. — Michael Lipsky, Street-Level Bureaucracy, 501

Categorization

Category: Contrarian or Surprising Claims

• XREF: Echoes the social-capital point that occult favoritism (like workplace nepotism that stays invisible) can coexist with high expressed trust until exposed — connects to opt-out/legal regime analyses of secrecy norms.

Broader Connections

• Perceived legitimacy rests on engaging loyalties and fulfilling interests #expands (0.72)