Let's talk about a small matter that happened in an alternate history regarding bureaucracy. It's not historical fact, just for fun.
First, what is the goal of bureaucracy? It's simple: to retain all power while pushing all responsibility onto the grassroots.
Both sides enter a round of games.
The grassroots counter bureaucracy with formalism, which is about form and leaving traces. The core idea is: I do as you require, using formalism to counter bureaucracy. If you dare to deal with me, you are dealing with yourself.
The first round ends with grassroots formalism winning.
Both sides enter the second round of games.
Bureaucracy cannot counter itself, so how can it use power to push responsibility back onto the grassroots? It's simple: no requirements, no paper documents. Meetings, personnel, verbal communication. How you execute it is not my concern; I only want results. I might not say anything at all, just rank you in a report. The main point is that if I don't say anything, I won't be wrong; if you do the work, you are bound to be wrong.
The second round ends with bureaucracy winning.
Both sides enter the final third round of games.
The grassroots seem to have entered a deadlock. If they don't act, they face punishment. If they do act, all mistakes are theirs. Bureaucracy has no responsibility and can stain its own reputation with the blood of the grassroots. Bureaucracy seems to have a guaranteed win but forgets: "The anger of the common man can spill blood five steps away."
"I will execute everything you ask me to, and I will do it faster. I may not survive the inevitable loss, but you must die today in your guaranteed win."
In the final stage of the game, when you push back, you will find that everyone speaks with conviction. Bureaucracy says I didn't issue any documents; I just ranked the rectification. The grassroots say, I am just conveying the superior's requirements; if you say I have a problem, can it be that all of us executing at the grassroots level have problems?