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Why is bureaucracy closely connected to the expansion of government functions?

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lampoon of Interstate Commerce Commission — Administrative law Cartoon depicting a uniformed Interstate Commerce Commission officer shining a large searchlight on U.S. railroad executive Edward Henry Harriman, who is struggling to carry a large load of packages and toy trains, some labeled “merger.”

Bureaucracy is closely connected to the expansion of government functions because the modern state has increasingly taken on roles that require efficient, large-scale administration. As governments move beyond merely maintaining order to pursuing goals like economic growth, industrialization, and the provision of universal social services—such as education and public health—they require a permanent, professionalized civil service to implement these complex mandates.123

This expansion of state activity necessitates the creation of specialized administrative organs, ministries, and agencies to manage resources and deliver services. Consequently, the rise of bureaucracy is an inevitable result of this growth, as states require a larger number of officials and increased material resources to exercise their expanded powers. While this bureaucratic apparatus is essential for modern governance, it also necessitates administrative law to ensure that these powerful institutions remain accountable, efficient, and just in their operations.32