ABSTRACT
Bureaucracy is no less a characteristic of the Soviet system than state ownership of the means of production; indeed the first follows from the second. Lenin feared that bureaucratization might flourish under the new system, but he could never have predicted its extent. The key problem of Soviet bureaucracy lies in the burden it creates for the national economy. The movement of goods and services is severely handicapped by endless paperwork, contributing to the constant shortages that plague Soviet life. The decision-making process is equally bungled, with immobility replacing action; bureaucrats are reluctant to take responsibility for any kind of decision without securing the approval of all the channels involved. Moreover, paper results become more important than real ones. Bureaucracy is everywhere, affecting small repair shops and mammoth heavy industries. Passports, passes, and certificates of domicile, of good conduct, of employment, are constantly needed.
