PRINCIPAL-AGENT THEORY AND STREET-LEVEL BUREAUCRATS - THE CASE OF SCHOOL-PSYCHOLOGISTS INVOLVEMENT IN AIDS POLICY

Principal-agent theory states that there is continual tension between bureaucrats and those who have legal authority over their behavior. On e observation has been that principals often lose control over their a gents. School psychologists can be viewed as agents, and administrator s and the public as their principals. Data from a sample of New York s tate school psychologists are used to examine the extent to which scho ol psychologists' participation in AIDS education programming within t he schools is responsive to principals' desires. Results are interpret ed in terms of principal-agent theory.