ABSTRACT Challenges with employment have ensured that street food vending has become a relevant economic activity for urban dwellers in developing economies. Consequently, city governments have come up with regulations to guide the sale of street food. This research investigated the use of discretion by street food regulators, social networks and relations between regulators and street food vendors and other negotiated agreements and their implications for the effective regulation of street foods. The research reveals that the use of discretion by regulators has potential negative implications for the implementation of street food laws since regulators overlook important aspects of regulatory laws. This research has also confirmed how street food vendors do not passively accept the discretionary decisions of regulators but rather actively engage in practices (establishing social networks and giving gifts) aimed at influencing the implementation of street food laws by regulatory authorities. This research recommends that future improvements to street food regulations must focus on helping regulators to use discretion defensively and learn how to work as agents of both the state and its citizens at the same time.

中文翻译：

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街头食品法规中的监管自由裁量权、社交网络和协商订单：对加纳城市街头食品法规的定性分析

摘要 就业挑战已确保街头食品自动售货已成为发展中经济体城市居民的一项相关经济活动。因此，市政府制定了法规来指导街头食品的销售。本研究调查了街头食品监管者对自由裁量权的使用、社交网络以及监管者与街头食品摊贩之间的关系以及其他谈判协议及其对有效监管街头食品的影响。研究表明，监管者使用自由裁量权对街头食品法的实施具有潜在的负面影响，因为监管者忽视了监管法的重要方面。这项研究还证实了街头食品摊贩如何不被动接受监管机构的酌情决定，而是积极参与旨在影响监管机构实施街头食品法律的做法（建立社交网络和赠送礼物）。这项研究建议，未来对街头食品法规的改进必须侧重于帮助监管机构防御性地使用自由裁量权，并学习如何同时作为国家和公民的代理人工作。