Question

What is a bureaucracy?

I don't understand this term, please help! Thank you

Answer 1

Read below:

Explanation:

Definition of bureaucracy
plural bureaucracies
1
a : a body of nonelective government officials
b : an administrative policy-making group

For better understating, here are the sort of "guidelines" of what composes a bureaucracy (according to Weber).

"-Hierarchy: A bureaucracy is set up with clear chains of command so that everyone has a boss. At the top of the organization is a chief who oversees the entire bureaucracy. Power flows downward.

-Specialization: Bureaucrats specialize in one area of the issue their agency covers. This allows efficiency because the specialist does what he or she knows best, then passes the matter along to another specialist.

-Division of labor: Each task is broken down into smaller tasks, and different people work on different parts of the task.

-Standard operating procedure (SOP): Also called formalized rules, SOP informs workers about how to handle tasks and situations. Everybody always follows the same procedures to increase efficiency and predictability so that the organization will produce similar results in similar circumstances. SOP can sometimes make bureaucracy move slowly because new procedures must be developed as circumstances change. " (http://www.sparknotes.com/us-government-and-politics/american-government/the-bureaucracy/)

Basically, it is important to keep in mind that they are not elected, they are appointed, and they can be either private or public (private=a company, public=government agencies.)

An example is the Department of Justice (The Attorney General is nominated by the president, confirmed by senate)