10
votes
How the Netherlands bent bureaucracy into something beautiful
Link information
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- Authors
- Michaela Haas, Charukesi Ramadurai, Eden Turner, Kristi Eaton
- Published
- Mar 12 2026
- Word count
- 1622 words
This is a great optimistic article, but I wish it directly had more details on the actual method in it. I don't have time to dig into the linked research paper, but here it is:
https://actionresearchplus.com/citizen-centric-powering-through-bureaucracy/
If someone ended up looking at it to see if there's useful stuff in there (rather than this just being one really persuasive and determined social scientist), I'd be very grateful to see quotes.
pssst
Hey, Germany? Look over there, straight to your left!
Yeah, right there, do you see it? Do you see it?
...please see it...
...or to spell it out in a less 'fluff'-y way: Germany is notoriously bad for this stuff. I've seen an awful lot written and said about how every element of bureaucracy sticks rigidly to their own rulebook, and how there's a strong culture of absolutely never looking out towards the big picture.
"The book says this, so this is what must be done". No agency, no flexibility, no humanity...