Bureaucracy - The Real Government?

Bureaucracy? Red tape. Paper pushers. Bean counters. Vast, cookie-cutter buildings with fluorescent lighting and thousands of file cabinets. This is what comes to mind when one thinks of a bureaucracy.

Weber emphasized the importance of the bureaucracy in getting things done and believed that a well-organized, rational bureaucracy is the secret behind the successful operation of modern societies.

However, bureaucracies have negatives that far outweigh their advantages, as argued by John Stuart Mill. There have been examples of bureaucratic agencies performing well in the past, but many argue that they are just exceptions.

Too much interference of bureaucrats in the government has often had consequences. Rather than being policy advisers, they form them. They have the power to infiltrate information, and thus control what politicians and government officials know; indirectly influencing policy changes.

Because Bureaucracies are the major interface between the government and businesses, they can build powerful alliances and play an important role in formulating and evaluating policy. This may be beneficiary for the people but history has taught us that it is usually not.

The influence of Pakistan’s bureaucrats is innumerable. They exercise power to gain their personal interests; causing corruption. The bureaucracy  is a powerful institution infiltrated by the bourgeoisie that are driven by their personal interests vested in the system, leading to dishonesty.

Thus, there is need for reform in the bureaucratic systems due to the threat they poses to democratic accountability.