Bureaucracy

French bureau (office, desk — originally the cloth covering a desk) + Greek -kratia (rule). Coined in the 18th century, initially as a pejorative for rule by officeholders. Max Weber rehabilitated it in the early 20th century as the rational-legal form of modern organization.

Used almost exclusively as a complaint — 'bureaucratic red tape,' 'government bureaucracy.' Rarely acknowledged that bureaucracy also means consistent application of rules, protection from arbitrary decisions, and institutional memory. The same system that makes you wait at the DMV also ensures the same regulations apply to the powerful and the powerless.