Literally and in political science usage, bureaucracy refers to a system of government in which real administrative power is exercised mainly by which group?

Introduction / Context:
The term bureaucracy is commonly used in everyday speech, often with a negative tone, but it has a precise meaning in political science and public administration. It originally comes from the French word for desk or office combined with the idea of rule, and it describes a system of government in which officials play a central role. This question tests whether you understand the literal and conceptual meaning of bureaucracy and can distinguish it from rule by elected leaders or other elites.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks what bureaucracy literally means as a system of government.
• Options include government by elected representatives, officials, landlords, or nominated representatives.
• We assume the standard academic understanding of the term as used in political science.
• The focus is on who actually runs the administration in a bureaucratic system.

Concept / Approach:
Bureaucracy literally refers to rule or authority exercised from an office or desk. In modern political systems, bureaucracy means an administrative system managed by full time, salaried officials who are appointed rather than elected. These officials implement laws, frame detailed rules, deliver public services, and manage day to day operations of government. While elected representatives set broad policies and pass legislation, bureaucrats translate those decisions into concrete action. Therefore, when we say bureaucracy is government by officials, we mean that the administrative machinery is largely controlled and run by professional civil servants.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Break down the word bureaucracy into its roots, with bureau referring to an office and cracy meaning rule or power.Step 2: Understand that the concept focuses on the role of offices and officials rather than on public votes or hereditary positions.Step 3: Recognise that bureaucrats are appointed civil servants who work in government departments on a full time basis.Step 4: Compare this idea with each option. Government by elected representatives describes democracy or representative government rather than bureaucracy as such.Step 5: Landlords and nominated representatives may have influence, but they are not what the term bureaucracy specifically points to.Step 6: Conclude that the most accurate and literal description is government by appointed officials and career civil servants.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard public administration texts define bureaucracy as an organisation of non elected officials who implement policies and manage public administration. Max Weber, a key theorist, described bureaucracy as a rational legal form of organisation based on rules, hierarchy, and merit based recruitment. None of these descriptions focus on election or hereditary ownership. Governments of many countries, including India, depend heavily on civil servants in the Indian Administrative Service, Police Service, and other services, which are clear examples of bureaucratic institutions. These references confirm that the real meaning is rule by officials in the administrative sense.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Elected representatives of the people: This describes representative democracy and legislative institutions rather than bureaucracy, which is about non elected administrators.
• A group of powerful landlords and feudal elites: This suggests oligarchy or feudal rule, not bureaucracy.
• Nominated representatives in the upper house: This refers to specific legislative arrangements but does not capture the administrative idea of bureaucracy.

Common Pitfalls:
The term bureaucracy is often used loosely to mean any government activity. Learners sometimes confuse political leadership with administrative machinery and think that elected leaders are the main part of bureaucracy. Another mistake is to associate bureaucracy only with delay and red tape, which are negative by products rather than the core definition. To avoid confusion, always remember that bureaucracy in its literal and academic sense refers to the system of government by appointed officials who work in formal offices under a hierarchy and a set of rules.

Final Answer:
Bureaucracy literally means a system of government run mainly by appointed officials and career civil servants rather than by elected politicians or hereditary elites.