Sarah Ball
Papers
1
Total Citations
58
H-Index
1
About
Sarah Ball is a leading scholar at the intersection of public administration, social policy, and algorithmic governance. Her research critically examines how digital technologies and performance management reshape the delivery of welfare and employment services, with a particular focus on the exercise of administrative discretion. In her highly influential work, “Can Robots Understand Welfare? Exploring Machine Bureaucracies in Welfare-to-Work” (2022, 58 citations), Ball investigates how performance-based contracting and automated decision-making systems are transforming the role of street-level bureaucrats. She reveals the tensions between algorithmic efficiency and the nuanced, human judgment required to serve vulnerable populations. Ball’s contributions have been pivotal in demonstrating that these “machine bureaucracies” do not simply replace human discretion but reconfigure it, often in ways that can undermine equity and access. Her research is widely cited by scholars in public administration, science and technology studies, and social policy, and has informed policy debates on the ethical use of AI in government. Ball’s work stands as a vital critique of technological solutionism in social services, making her a key voice for students and researchers concerned with justice in the digital welfare state.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1