In everyday language, we use the word bureaucracy as an
insult. For most people, the term conjures long lines of angry people, piles of
papers just about to tip over, and workers asleep at their desks. The truth is that
every government needs a bureaucracy in order to function properly. In fact, the
federal government of the United States employs roughly 1 percent of the American
population, or approximately 2.6 million people, within its bureaucracy.
The Department of Motor Vehicles, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Peace
Corps, the Office of Government Ethics, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Small
Business Administration are all part of the American bureaucracy, but so are
religious groups, businesses, and educational institutions. For better or worse, a
bureaucracy is the best way to organize large numbers of people working toward the
same goal.
