{"id":"https://openalex.org/W4283168318","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3531146.3533223","title":"What is the Bureaucratic Counterfactual? Categorical versus Algorithmic Prioritization in U.S. Social Policy","display_name":"What is the Bureaucratic Counterfactual? Categorical versus Algorithmic Prioritization in U.S. Social Policy","publication_year":2022,"publication_date":"2022-06-20","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W4283168318","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3531146.3533223"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1145/3531146.3533223","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3531146.3533223","pdf_url":"https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3531146.3533223","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4363608463","display_name":"2022 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"conference"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"2022 ACM Conference on Fairness Accountability and Transparency","raw_type":"proceedings-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"bronze","oa_url":"https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3531146.3533223","any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5088965162","display_name":"Rebecca Johnson","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2475-6622"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Rebecca Ann Johnson","raw_affiliation_strings":["Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy, USA"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy, USA","institution_ids":[]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5006131823","display_name":"Simone Zhang","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0158-1364"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I107639228","display_name":"University of Notre Dame","ror":"https://ror.org/00mkhxb43","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I107639228"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Simone Zhang","raw_affiliation_strings":["Sociology, University of Notre Dame, USA"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Sociology, University of Notre Dame, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I107639228"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":2,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5088965162"],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":2.6363,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":9,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.91274188,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":96,"max":98},"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":"1671","last_page":"1682"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10318","display_name":"Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis","score":0.9785000085830688,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10318","display_name":"Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis","score":0.9785000085830688,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10446","display_name":"Income, Poverty, and Inequality","score":0.9703999757766724,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11817","display_name":"Housing, Finance, and Neoliberalism","score":0.9664999842643738,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2003","display_name":"Finance"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/20","display_name":"Economics, Econometrics and Finance"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/counterfactual-thinking","display_name":"Counterfactual thinking","score":0.6920545101165771},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/categorical-variable","display_name":"Categorical variable","score":0.6367440223693848},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/status-quo","display_name":"Status quo","score":0.6043289303779602},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computer-science","display_name":"Computer science","score":0.5694042444229126},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/bureaucracy","display_name":"Bureaucracy","score":0.4432342052459717},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/management-science","display_name":"Management science","score":0.355377197265625},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/operations-research","display_name":"Operations research","score":0.337099552154541},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/machine-learning","display_name":"Machine learning","score":0.27687937021255493},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/economics","display_name":"Economics","score":0.24525126814842224},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/political-science","display_name":"Political science","score":0.2058500349521637},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/psychology","display_name":"Psychology","score":0.1561487317085266},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/politics","display_name":"Politics","score":0.14795073866844177},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/social-psychology","display_name":"Social psychology","score":0.12258133292198181},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/engineering","display_name":"Engineering","score":0.11083140969276428}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C108650721","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1783253","display_name":"Counterfactual thinking","level":2,"score":0.6920545101165771},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C5274069","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2285707","display_name":"Categorical variable","level":2,"score":0.6367440223693848},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776748549","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201610","display_name":"Status quo","level":2,"score":0.6043289303779602},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.5694042444229126},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C51575053","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q72468","display_name":"Bureaucracy","level":3,"score":0.4432342052459717},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C539667460","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2414942","display_name":"Management science","level":1,"score":0.355377197265625},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C42475967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q194292","display_name":"Operations research","level":1,"score":0.337099552154541},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.27687937021255493},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C162324750","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8134","display_name":"Economics","level":0,"score":0.24525126814842224},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C17744445","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36442","display_name":"Political science","level":0,"score":0.2058500349521637},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.1561487317085266},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C94625758","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7163","display_name":"Politics","level":2,"score":0.14795073866844177},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C77805123","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161272","display_name":"Social psychology","level":1,"score":0.12258133292198181},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127413603","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11023","display_name":"Engineering","level":0,"score":0.11083140969276428},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199539241","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7748","display_name":"Law","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C34447519","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179522","display_name":"Market economy","level":1,"score":0.0}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1145/3531146.3533223","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3531146.3533223","pdf_url":"https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3531146.3533223","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4363608463","display_name":"2022 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"conference"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"2022 ACM Conference on Fairness Accountability and Transparency","raw_type":"proceedings-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:share.osf.io:E00F4-7F1-058","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"http://osf.io/yxe95/","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306401127","display_name":"OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I2799848540","host_organization_name":"Center for Open Science","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I2799848540"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"","raw_type":"project"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.1145/3531146.3533223","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3531146.3533223","pdf_url":"https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3531146.3533223","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4363608463","display_name":"2022 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"conference"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"2022 ACM Conference on Fairness Accountability and Transparency","raw_type":"proceedings-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"display_name":"No poverty","id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/1","score":0.47999998927116394}],"awards":[],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320307139","display_name":"American Bar Foundation","ror":"https://ror.org/02kjq0603"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320309292","display_name":"Princeton University","ror":"https://ror.org/00hx57361"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320310400","display_name":"Dartmouth College","ror":"https://ror.org/049s0rh22"}],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":true,"pdf":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W4283168318.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W4283168318.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":59,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W121362606","https://openalex.org/W155101626","https://openalex.org/W183713392","https://openalex.org/W306392957","https://openalex.org/W583000211","https://openalex.org/W646670893","https://openalex.org/W1581621461","https://openalex.org/W1806647190","https://openalex.org/W1819662813","https://openalex.org/W1943661034","https://openalex.org/W2006867813","https://openalex.org/W2008032558","https://openalex.org/W2010857525","https://openalex.org/W2037720969","https://openalex.org/W2066662503","https://openalex.org/W2099603975","https://openalex.org/W2119266541","https://openalex.org/W2125398298","https://openalex.org/W2170107456","https://openalex.org/W2751772126","https://openalex.org/W2792183666","https://openalex.org/W2799763506","https://openalex.org/W2890416412","https://openalex.org/W2896356305","https://openalex.org/W2897154134","https://openalex.org/W2897702578","https://openalex.org/W2901481055","https://openalex.org/W2901856814","https://openalex.org/W2918048040","https://openalex.org/W2945982604","https://openalex.org/W2963588812","https://openalex.org/W2995382404","https://openalex.org/W3003162384","https://openalex.org/W3007910004","https://openalex.org/W3019615756","https://openalex.org/W3040416015","https://openalex.org/W3046189918","https://openalex.org/W3100754931","https://openalex.org/W3104831984","https://openalex.org/W3112374793","https://openalex.org/W3119520891","https://openalex.org/W3125075893","https://openalex.org/W3125892916","https://openalex.org/W3133953502","https://openalex.org/W3135468018","https://openalex.org/W3149184420","https://openalex.org/W3155689111","https://openalex.org/W3167920093","https://openalex.org/W3167983954","https://openalex.org/W3199781855","https://openalex.org/W4205436559","https://openalex.org/W4285452710","https://openalex.org/W4288414189","https://openalex.org/W4296978576","https://openalex.org/W4302146091","https://openalex.org/W6640605958","https://openalex.org/W6675925094","https://openalex.org/W6729471474","https://openalex.org/W6730812806"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W4291214038","https://openalex.org/W4306294782","https://openalex.org/W3159122268","https://openalex.org/W1904240756","https://openalex.org/W4360991218","https://openalex.org/W4361192892","https://openalex.org/W2153025816","https://openalex.org/W4224310874","https://openalex.org/W1810210833","https://openalex.org/W4283168318"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"There":[0],"is":[1,236],"growing":[2],"concern":[3],"about":[4,91],"governments\u2019":[5],"use":[6],"of":[7,17,33,67,107,153,167,211,276,286],"algorithms":[8,21,36,68,101,288],"to":[9,25,42,87,93,188,203,289],"make":[10,88],"high-stakes":[11],"decisions.":[12],"While":[13,103],"an":[14],"early":[15],"wave":[16,32],"research":[18,34,63,108],"focused":[19],"on":[20,64,193],"that":[22,37,61,78,81,185],"predict":[23,38],"risk":[24],"allocate":[26],"punishment":[27],"and":[28,178,196,198,221,233,249,282],"suspicion,":[29],"a":[30,75,82,104,176,261],"newer":[31],"studies":[35,210],"\u201cneed\u201d":[39],"or":[40,257],"\u201cbenefit\u201d":[41],"target":[43,117,129],"beneficial":[44],"resources,":[45],"such":[46],"as":[47],"ranking":[48],"those":[49,158],"experiencing":[50],"homelessness":[51],"by":[52,120],"their":[53],"need":[54,168],"for":[55,217,239,253],"housing.":[56],"The":[57],"present":[58],"paper":[59],"argues":[60],"existing":[62],"the":[65,182,237,268,273,283],"role":[66,243],"in":[69,207,247,279],"social":[70,83,114,140,200,214,280],"policy":[71,281],"could":[72],"benefit":[73],"from":[74,260],"counterfactual":[76,269],"perspective":[77,270],"asks:":[79],"given":[80],"service":[84,115],"bureaucracy":[85],"needs":[86],"some":[89],"decision":[90,183,251],"whom":[92],"help,":[94],"what":[95,242],"status":[96,143],"quo":[97,144],"prioritization":[98,206,240,278],"method":[99],"would":[100],"replace?":[102],"large":[105],"body":[106],"contrasts":[109],"human":[110],"versus":[111],"algorithmic":[112,234],"decision-making,":[113],"bureaucracies":[116],"help":[118,130,154,159],"not":[119],"giving":[121],"street-level":[122],"bureaucrats":[123],"full":[124],"discretion.":[125],"Instead,":[126],"they":[127],"primarily":[128],"through":[131],"pre-algorithmic,":[132],"rule-based":[133],"methods.":[134],"In":[135],"this":[136],"paper,":[137],"we":[138,265],"outline":[139,204,227],"policy\u2019s":[141],"current":[142],"method\u2014categorical":[145],"prioritization\u2014where":[146],"decision-makers":[147],"manually":[148,180,255],"(1)":[149],"decide":[150],"which":[151],"attributes":[152],"seekers":[155,160],"should":[156],"give":[157],"priority,":[161],"(2)":[162],"simplify":[163],"any":[164],"continuous":[165],"measures":[166],"into":[169],"categories":[170,187],"(e.g.,":[171],"household":[172],"income":[173],"falls":[174],"below":[175],"threshold),":[177],"(3)":[179],"choose":[181],"rules":[184,252],"map":[186],"priority":[189,254],"levels.":[190],"We":[191,226],"draw":[192],"novel":[194],"data":[195],"quantitative":[197],"qualitative":[199],"science":[201],"methods":[202],"categorical":[205,232,277],"two":[208],"case":[209],"United":[212],"States":[213],"policy:":[215],"waitlists":[216],"scarce":[218],"housing":[219],"vouchers":[220],"K-12":[222],"school":[223],"finance":[224],"formulas.":[225],"three":[228],"main":[229],"differences":[230],"between":[231],"prioritization:":[235],"basis":[238],"formalized;":[241],"does":[244],"power":[245],"play":[246],"prioritization;":[248],"are":[250],"chosen":[256],"inductively":[258],"derived":[259],"predictive":[262,287],"model.":[263],"Concluding,":[264],"show":[266],"how":[267],"underscores":[271],"both":[272],"understudied":[274,284],"costs":[275],"potential":[285],"narrow":[290],"inequalities.":[291]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":3},{"year":2024,"cited_by_count":6}],"updated_date":"2026-04-05T17:49:38.594831","created_date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00"}