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GMAT : Analysis of An Issue
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An Issue
63. As government bureaucracy increases, citizens become more and more separated from their government.
Question
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and / or examples from your own experience, observations or reading.
Analysis
At first glance, it would seem that increased bureaucracy creates obstacles between the citizens and those who govern, thereby separating the two groups. Closer examination reveals, however, that in many ways government bureaucracy actually bridges this gap and that new technologies now allow for ways around the Sap.
First of all, many government bureaucracies are established as a response to the needs of the citizenry. In a sense, they manifest a nexus between citizens and government providing a means of communication and redress for grievances that would not otherwise be available. For example, does the FDA, by virtue of its ensuring the safety of our food and drugs, separate us from the government? Or does the FHA, by helping to make home ownership more viable to ordinary citizens, thereby increase the gap between citizens and the government? No. These agencies serve our interests and enhance the accessibility of government resources to citizens.
Admittedly, agencies such as these are necessary proxies for direct participation in government. Since our societal problems are too large and complex for individuals to solve. However, technology is coming forward to bridge some of the larger gaps. For example, we can now communicate directly with our legislators by email, visit our lawmakers on the Web and engage in electronic town hall meetings. In addition, the fact that government bureaucracies are the largest employers of citizens should not be overlooked. In this sense, bureaucracies bridge the gap by enabling more citizens to become part of the government.
In the final analysis, one can view bureaucracies as surrogates for individual participation in government. However, they are more accurately viewed as a manifestation of the symbiotic relationship between citizens and the movement.
63. As government bureaucracy increases, citizens become more and more separated from their government.
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion expressed above. Support your point of view with reasons and / or examples from your own experience, observations or reading.
At first glance, it would seem that increased bureaucracy creates obstacles between the citizens and those who govern, thereby separating the two groups. Closer examination reveals, however, that in many ways government bureaucracy actually bridges this gap and that new technologies now allow for ways around the Sap.
First of all, many government bureaucracies are established as a response to the needs of the citizenry. In a sense, they manifest a nexus between citizens and government providing a means of communication and redress for grievances that would not otherwise be available. For example, does the FDA, by virtue of its ensuring the safety of our food and drugs, separate us from the government? Or does the FHA, by helping to make home ownership more viable to ordinary citizens, thereby increase the gap between citizens and the government? No. These agencies serve our interests and enhance the accessibility of government resources to citizens.
Admittedly, agencies such as these are necessary proxies for direct participation in government. Since our societal problems are too large and complex for individuals to solve. However, technology is coming forward to bridge some of the larger gaps. For example, we can now communicate directly with our legislators by email, visit our lawmakers on the Web and engage in electronic town hall meetings. In addition, the fact that government bureaucracies are the largest employers of citizens should not be overlooked. In this sense, bureaucracies bridge the gap by enabling more citizens to become part of the government.
In the final analysis, one can view bureaucracies as surrogates for individual participation in government. However, they are more accurately viewed as a manifestation of the symbiotic relationship between citizens and the movement.