Red tape is an unfavorable term used to describe the inefficiency of any large bureaucracy, public or private. The term originated in England during the 1700’s. People used red string to tie legal and official documents together. Later, the term came to mean official routine in general. Red tape may describe an official’s rigid observance of rules and regulations; the routing of requests and orders through channels, resulting in delay; or excessive paperwork associated with the administration of a program. See also Bureaucracy .
