Government proposes, bureaucracy disposes. And the bureaucracy must dispose of government proposals by dumping them on us.
—P. J. O’Rourke (1947–2022) American Journalist, Political Satirist
The disease which inflicts bureaucracy and what they usually die from is routine.
—John Stuart Mill (1806–73) English Philosopher, Economist
Bureaucracy is not an obstacle to democracy but an inevitable complement to it.
—Joseph Schumpeter (1883–1950) Austrian-American Political Economist, Sociologist
It seems to me that there must be an ecological limit to the number of paper pushers the earth can sustain, and that human civilization will collapse when the number of, say, tax lawyers exceeds the world’s total population of farmers, weavers, fisherpersons, and pediatric nurses.
—Barbara Ehrenreich (1941–2022) American Social Critic, Essayist
Bureaucracy is the death of any achievement.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
Religion, to me, is a bureaucracy between man and God that I don’t need.
—Bill Maher (b.1956) American Comedian, TV Personality, Social Critic, Author, Actor
By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be a boss and work twelve hours a day.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
Any change is resisted because bureaucrats have a vested interest in the chaos in which they exist.
—Richard Nixon (1913–94) American Head of State, Lawyer
There is something about a bureaucrat that does not like a poem.
—Gore Vidal (1925–48) American Novelist, Essayist, Journalist, Playwright
Strive to make proposed solutions as self-executing as possible. As the degree of discretion increases, so too does bureaucracy, delay, and expense.
—Donald Rumsfeld (1932–2021) U.S. Secretary of Defense
Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned.
—Milton Friedman (1912–2006) American Economist
No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth!
—Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) American Head of State
Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status.
—Laurence J. Peter (1919–90) Canadian-born American Educator, Author
Nothing can be more contemptible than to suppose Public Records to be true.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
Official dignity tends to increase in inverse ratio to the importance of the country in which the office is held.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
If we did not have such a thing as an airplane today, we would probably create something the size of N.A.S.A. to make one.
—Ross Perot (1930–2019) American Businessman
A bureaucracy is sure to think that its duty is to augment official power, official business, or official members, rather than to leave free the energies of mankind; it overdoes the quantity of government, as well as impairs its quality. The truth is, that a skilled bureaucracy is, though it boasts of an appearance of science, quite inconsistent with the true principles of the art of business.
—Walter Bagehot (1826–77) English Economist, Journalist
In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.
—Laurence J. Peter (1919–90) Canadian-born American Educator, Author
Any sufficiently advanced bureaucracy is indistinguishable from molasses.
—Unknown
So many signatures for such a small heart.
—Mother Teresa (1910–97) Roman Catholic Missionary, Nun
Bureaucracy is the death of all sound work
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
If you’re going to sin, sin against God, not the bureaucracy; God will forgive you but the bureaucracy won t.
—Hyman G. Rickover (1900–86) American Naval Engineering Officer
Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy.
—Franz Kafka (1883–1924) Austrian Novelist, Short Story Writer
Most managers were trained to be the thing they most despise—bureaucrats.
—Alvin Toffler (1928–2016) American Writer, Futurist
Bureaucracy is a giant mechanism operated by pygmies.
—Honore de Balzac (1799–1850) French Novelist
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