It refers to bureaucracy but specifically in a negative way, as in unnecessary and obstructive bureaucracy that just serves as busy work between people and getting what they want or need from the government in terms of services or approvals.
Looks like high usage in UK and USA and Canada (as colonies) since it refered to the red tape used To bind legal documents closed. As a UK to Canada resident. i can say I just knew what the term meant from hearing it so often in conversations or on the news, but never though to look up where the term came from. TIL
How common is the terminology “red tape”? I had to look it up. Is it more than “bureaucracy” would fill?
It refers to bureaucracy but specifically in a negative way, as in unnecessary and obstructive bureaucracy that just serves as busy work between people and getting what they want or need from the government in terms of services or approvals.
Looks like high usage in UK and USA and Canada (as colonies) since it refered to the red tape used To bind legal documents closed. As a UK to Canada resident. i can say I just knew what the term meant from hearing it so often in conversations or on the news, but never though to look up where the term came from. TIL