Dogged efforts were being undercut by a dysfunctional Iraqi bureaucracy in Baghdad.

The new President took over a country that faced many problems, including a dysfunctional bureaucracy, collapsed infrastructure, and a military that wanted a reward for returning quietly to the barracks.

It was later learned that Russia's performance at the Olympics followed widespread misspending by sports officials and a dysfunctional bureaucracy, according to government auditors.

Far more difficult, many officials say, is the challenge of remaking the F.B.I.'s dysfunctional bureaucracy.

While complimenting Tom Ridge, who has stepped down as secretary, they also called the Department of Homeland Security a dysfunctional bureaucracy with little strategic vision.

According to Hillman, patronage networks 'grease the wheels' of a dysfunctional bureaucracy while simultaneously extracting spoils for the private benefit of their members.

The report also said the department was a "dysfunctional bureaucracy that has proven it is incapable of reforming itself."

Horne, too, sees dysfunctional bureaucracy, not simply racism, as the key to the Katrina disaster, and his judgments of Bush-Brown-Chertoff are equally harsh.

"This sale will redefine the address 110 Livingston, which was for too long synonymous with a dysfunctional bureaucracy that served itself instead of our children," he said.

A dysfunctional bureaucracy and unreliable data impact children.