ABSTRACT
Wh ile the necessity o f the exerc ise of di scretion is not disputed, the att itude toward it is often described as ambiguous and even ambivalent, with sp<l rsc normati ve foundations (Bryner 1987). Discretion represents a judgment as to w hat activi ties in an agency are to receive a priori ty. Exercising d iscretion presumes thaI both Ihe need for judgment and the capacity to exercise it are not just about im plementing "routine" acti viti es.
