“The Life Cycle of Bureaus” examines the genesis, growth, and death of bureaus. It looks at the ways bureaus come into being, the dynamics of their growth, and finally the deaths of bureaus.
Bureaus come into being one of four ways: to implement the ideas of a charismatic leader, to carry out a specific function for which a group perceives a need, split from an existing bureaucracy, or through an entrepreneurial spirit to implement an entirely new policy. In the beginning, bureaus share three commonalities. They are initially dominated by advocates or zealots, they undergo an early phase of rapid growth, and they must immediately seek sources of external support for survival and autonomy.
Once they have established autonomy, growth dynamics come into play. There is dominance, which means the traits of the dominant group are often present in the character and behavior of the bureau itself. The growth accelerator effect is based on the idea that growth begets growth and the more the agency does, the more it will be able to do and the larger it will become. This is contrasted by the “brakes on acceleration” dynamic. Competition, the challenge of being a constant high performer, and conflicts among climbing members of the bureau all can halt a bureau’s growth. A related, but not completely similar dynamic is the decelerator effect. If following the expression “what goes up must come down” this is the down side to a bureau’s growth. This dynamic is not as stunting as the brakes, though. Even when deceleration is present, it’s still possible for an organization to grow out of this phase. Another dynamic is qualitative growth. This occurs when quality increases, but the size of the organization does not
After explaining the dynamics of growth in an organization, Downs explains why these bureaus seek expansion. They include: to attract and retain the most capable personnel, to provide leaders with increased power, to reduce internal conflicts, to improve the quality of performance, and to expend the resources they possess.
As the organization grows and ages, changes occur. They develop more formalized rules, which assist in improving the performance for situations they’ve already encounter. They can also cause goal displacement and increase the bureau’s structural complexity. This causes older bureaus to become far more stable and inflexible than new bureaus. Other changes include an increased number of administrative officials, an increase in the number of functions carried out, and mechanized production jobs. These effects are consistent with the Law of Increasing Conservatism, which states: “All organizations tend to become more conservative as they get older, unless they experience periods of very rapid growth or internal turnover.”
Bureaus eventually reach a growth plateau, and some even outlive their purpose. Unlike other organizations, though, bureaus don’t always die when their purpose does. Sometimes they are saved by shifting functions to take on something more viable. Other times their clients advocate for their continued existence, their continued existence is not opposed, or size alone keeps them alive.
