There was a time that the distinguishing characteristic of working in a bureaucracy (as an employee) were: it's not very fun; the pay is OK but not great; the hours are good (no nights and weekends), the benefits are pretty good; it's difficult but not impossible to get fired; and the retirement plan is very good (both benefits and pay). In that world, I'd argue that the vast majority of employees in any bureaucracy -- all but the top handful of political appointees -- focus on optimizing their own longevity as employees. That can explain a wide variety of... (read more)
There was a time that the distinguishing characteristic of working in a bureaucracy (as an employee) were: it's not very fun; the pay is OK but not great; the hours are good (no nights and weekends), the benefits are pretty good; it's difficult but not impossible to get fired; and the retirement plan is very good (both benefits and pay). In that world, I'd argue that the vast majority of employees in any bureaucracy -- all but the top handful of political appointees -- focus on optimizing their own longevity as employees. That can explain a wide variety of... (read more)