A system of administration including a group of non-elective government officials and a directorial policy-making group: Bureaucratism is the administrative system governing any large institution, whether publicly owned or privately owned.

A public administration in many countries are examples of bureaucratisms, but so is the centralized hierarchical structure of a business firm.

In the United States military establishment, bureaucratisms involve the civil service with government workers and officials who are usually hired on the basis of competitive examinations.