Bureaucracy is people who are professionally engaged in management issues and implement decisions of the highest authorities. In their activities, they follow clear rules and procedures. Also called this term.
a management system based on formalism and administrative red tape.
The concept of "bureaucracy" first appeared in 1745. The French economist Vincent de Gourne called the officials who took real power from the monarch or the people. The German sociologist Max Weber, on the contrary, saw in the bureaucracy the necessary management system. He understood by it the rational work of structures, where each element works most efficiently.
Bureaucratic structures existed even in the most ancient states. Professional management distinguished Ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire. In imperial China, there was a complex hierarchy of officials of various ranks who had enormous power over subjects. In Russia in the 16th century specialized government bodies began to emerge, the so-called "orders." The reforms of Peter I gave a new impetus to the development of bureaucracy. He replaced hereditary boyars with professional officials. The Senate, the highest bureaucratic body, appeared.
They tried to destroy bureaucracy several times in the era of bourgeois revolutions, but failed to create a management system without professionalization. Therefore, bureaucratic structures are still not only preserved, but also strengthened as a result of the complexity of management processes.
Bureaucracy is a complex social phenomenon and its role in the democratic system is ambiguous. Usually this word is used in a negative sense. And in most cases this is true. Bureaucracy is characterized by inefficiency, incompetence, red tape, manipulation, concern only about their own well-being. On the other hand, everyone is aware of its power as a structure that implements the decisions of the authorities. Many see the bureaucracy as a threat to a democratic political structure. It tends to turn into a privileged layer, far from the interests of the bulk of the population. This is most clearly manifested in a totalitarian regime.
At the same time, rational bureaucracy is one of the important social inventions of civilization. No modern state can do without a developed management system. Without it, social life will simply stop. An independent and strong bureaucracy is necessary to prevent corruption in politics, to preserve many democratic procedures. In the system of managerial relations, the place of bureaucracy can be defined as an intermediate between the population and the political elite. In its activity, it connects these two layers and contributes to the implementation of guidelines. This is its necessary role in society and the state.
