History Main / ObstructiveBureaucrat

* {{Literature/IRobot}}: At ''"The Evitable Conflict"'', Stephen Byerley, Co ordinator of the Earth, suspects someone is sabotaging the Machines, powerful robots that advice the best decision to humanity, ''endangering the peace and stability of the entire planet''. He asks for help investigating this to the four Vice Co ordinators of the four regions in that Earth is divided. All they dismiss the idea and none helps Byerley, insisting they are doing their jobs well. Justified, because [[spoiler: The Machines already control humanity and they will never let anyone capable to initiate an investigation had the job]]
-->'' "They all minimize the state of affairs" ''. His ''[Byerley]'' voice was low. ''"Its not easy to imagine that they all laugh at me?"''

This guy is the ultimate pencil pusher from a government agency, and he creates the red tape that normal citizens hate. He's an unlikeable PunchClockVillain with a bad temper and a sizable streak of callousness. Works for any and all bureaucracies, including DepartmentOfChildDisservices, [[MorallyBankruptBanker banks]] and possibly even your own [[CelestialBureaucracy afterlife]]. His job, storywise, is to get in the way of whatever the heroes need to do, sometimes because what the heroes are doing are against some form of regulations, but other times because the character is a {{Jerkass}} who just doesn't like the heroes and is using "regulations" to make their lives difficult. In disaster movies and other works that lack a real villain, expect this guy to be the work's resident HateSink.

* The "Mystery of Magic" in ''MyImmortal''. They were most likely ''supposed'' to be serious, [[{{Narm}} but]] [[SoBadItsGood given]] [[RougeAnglesOfSatin how]] [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments it's]] [[MindScrew written]]...

* [[Characters/HarryPotter Dolores Umbridge]] in ''[[HarryPotter Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'' is a SmugSnake who, initially appointed as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, gradually works her way to a [[TyrantTakesTheHelm position of supreme power]] at Hogwarts ... and eventually, assumes a great deal of control over the wizard government. Percy Weasley also became one of these, though he managed to [[HeelFaceTurn redeem himself]] at the end.

* Cornelius Fudge of ''HarryPotter'' proves to be this. He primarily acts as headpiece for the Ministry with recommendations from Malfoy and other respected individuals deciding his actions rather than his own opinions. However, unlike his Undersecretary who is decidedly evil, Fudge simply wants to stay in control, and he seems to know that any disturbance in the peace would see him quickly ousted. As such, he refused to review the case of Sirius Black or accept Voldemort's return in order to maintain the status quo.

* Donnel Udina in ''MassEffect'' serves this role to Shepard, [[SlaveToPR caring only for looking good politically]].

These characters tend towards LawfulNeutral, usually LawfulStupid and sometimes LawfulEvil.

This guy is the ultimate pencil pusher from a government agency, and he creates the red tape that normal citizens hate. He's an unlikeable PunchClockVillain with a bad temper and a sizable streak of callousness. Works for any and all bureaucracies, including DepartmentOfChildDisservices, [[MorallyBankruptBanker banks]] and possibly even your own [[CelestialBureaucracy afterlife]]. His job, storywise, is to get in the way of whatever the heroes need to do, sometimes because what the heroes are doing are against some form of regulations, but other times because the character is a Jerkass who just doesn't like the heroes and is using "regulations" to make their lives difficult. In disaster movies and other works that lack a real villain, expect this guy to be the work's resident HateSink.

This guy is the ultimate pencil pusher from a government agency, and he creates the red tape that normal citizens hate. He's an unlikeable PunchClockVillain with a bad temper and a sizable streak of callousness. Works for any and all bureaucracies, including DepartmentOfChildDisservices, [[MorallyBankruptBanker banks]] and possibly even your own [[CelestialBureaucracy afterlife]]. His job, storywise, is to get in the way of whatever the heroes need to do, sometimes because what the heroes are doing are against some form of regulations, but other times because the character is a Jerkass who just doesn't like the heroes and is using "regulations" to make their lives difficult. In disaster movies, monster movies and other works that do not have a real villain, expect this guy to be the work's resident HateSink.

This guy is the ultimate pencil pusher from a government agency, and he creates the red tape that normal citizens hate. He's an unlikeable PunchClockVillain with a bad temper and a sizable streak of callousness. Works for any and all bureaucracies, including DepartmentOfChildDisservices, [[MorallyBankruptBanker banks]] and possibly even your own [[CelestialBureaucracy afterlife]].

On the other hand, sometimes he is obstructing a MatterOfLifeAndDeath. Threat of force, or actual force, may be needed to get by him. A common cause of DividedWeFall. Many a surreptitious entry into, or exit from, a location, or requisition of supplies, is needed because it would take too long to get by him. Almost all this form-filling out serves no useful purpose; for the hero to put in a list that will allow him access to a facility, for instance, is a very rare subversion. Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy (see above) is always in effect. Expect this particular variant to be the work's resident HateSink.

Note that this is not the same as the KnightTemplar, another type of WellIntentionedExtremist. The KnightTemplar does [[IDidWhatIHadToDo horrible things for some greater good]], whereas the Obstructive Bureaucrat has no concept of "greater good", and cares only about following procedure, or rather believes that procedure is equivalent to the "greater good". He's not just ''prone'' to JustFollowingOrders: as long as the orders match the rules he thinks it's his job to enforce and follow, JustFollowingOrders is what he is all about. In another sense, where the KnightTemplar is the ''extreme'' leader, the Obstructive Bureaucrat is the extreme ''follower''.

Note that this is not the same as the KnightTemplar, another type of WellIntentionedExtremist. The KnightTemplar does [[IDidWhatIHadToDo horrible things for some greater good]], whereas the Obstructive Bureaucrat has no concept of "greater good", and cares only about following procedure, or rather believes that procedure is equivalent to the "greater good". He's not just ''prone'' to JustFollowingOrders: as long as the orders match the rules he thinks it's his job to enforce and follow, JustFollowingOrders is what he is all about.

* Vice Admiral Alynna Nechayev is presented this way in most of her appearances on StarTrekTheNextGeneration and [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine DS9]]. Her involvement in the Cardassian [=DMZ=] crisis, if not actually outright caused by her, certainly aggravated the situation.

* Vice Admiral Alynna Nechayev is presented this way in most of her appearances on StarTrekTheNextGeneration and [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine DS9]]. Her involvement in the Cardassian [=DMZ=] crisis, if not actually outright causing hostilities, certainly aggravated the situation.

In America, this character can also be a member of Congress (usually a senator) who is [[HauledBeforeASenateSubcommittee investigating the heroes]].

* Galloway from ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' insults and looks down on the Autobots, and even on Lennox, Epps and the other troops who support the Autobots. Threatens the Autobots with banishment from Earth, though it's never mentioned that he could only legally banish them from America.

* Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni is this to Ichigo in ''A Protector's Pride''. It leads to a war with Hell and Ichigo firmly distrusting of the Gotei 13. [[SelfFulfillingProphecy Something he wanted to avoid.]]