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Bureaucratic Quote by Elliott Liu

“The new economy also generated a bloated bureaucratic class. The number of state functionaries employed by the government rose from 720,000 in 1949, to 3.3 million in 1952, to 8.09 million in 1957.21 In Shanghai, the number of workers of all kinds grew by 1.2 percent from 1949 to 1957, while…” quote by Elliott Liu
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““The new economy also generated a bloated bureaucratic class. The number of state functionaries employed by the government rose from 720,000 in 1949, to 3.3 million in 1952, to 8.09 million in 1957.21 In Shanghai, the number of workers of all kinds grew by 1.2 percent from 1949 to 1957, while government staff grew by 16 percent.””

Elliott Liu

About This Quote

Source Article: Economic History of Shanghai, 2021

Rapid bureaucratic expansion outpaced overall workforce growth, creating a disproportionate administrative class.

In simple terms: Government staff grew faster than total workers.

Key Takeaway

Watch bureaucratic bloat.

Themes

economics bureaucracy history

Mood

analytical critical

Type

historical analytical

When to use this quote

  • government planning
  • public sector hiring
  • economic forecasting

Key Concepts

administrative growth labor statistics policy analysis

Questions to Reflect On

  • What are the costs of an oversized bureaucracy?
  • How can balance be restored?
A Different Perspective

Bureaucratic growth can reduce efficiency.

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