Berlin-Filter: mandatory car emissions sticker stuck in post... [more inside]
posted by runincircles on Oct 21, 2009 - 7 answers

Is there a way to speed up the construction of the house next to mine? [more inside]
posted by hellbient on Aug 13, 2009 - 5 answers

I have had a perfect storm of bureaucratic screwups take $400 and many hours of my life from me. Can I get my money back? I've been fighting up to now with no success so I don't even know who or what to do anymore. Help! (Companies involved: AAA, DMV, LA Parking Violations Bureau) [more inside]
posted by miss lynnster on May 20, 2009 - 22 answers

Have you ordered a US military personnel file (aka "OMPF," or "201 file"), for someone famous that was "released" under the Persons of Exceptional Prominence (PEP) program? How did that go? How long did it take? Did you have to go there in person? [more inside]
posted by garfy3 on May 8, 2009 - 4 answers

Registering for British citizenship by descent: do they return the documents? Also: cutting a check in foreign currency? [more inside]
posted by paultopia on Oct 29, 2008 - 7 answers

Obscure political science filter: What is the name of the political science/urban studies law [___'s Law] of bureaucracy that states that, over time, agencies have a tendency/need to invest much of their energy and resources into sustaining themselves, often at the cost of more completely and directly fulfilling their original missions? [more inside]
posted by lunit on Sep 24, 2008 - 5 answers

Which later-famous-for-something-else supply clerk began reporting on the number of flies that he'd killed? [more inside]
posted by dws on Aug 27, 2008 - 7 answers

We want to get married in Gibraltar. Among the documents we have to present to the registry office is a Certificate of Non Impediment which, from what we've googled, isn't a standard US document and is a requirement to get married in most European countries. Where can the future Mr. Dada, an American citizen, get one of these?
posted by lucia__is__dada on Jan 22, 2008 - 11 answers

Do I have any options as far as getting our natural gas turned back on by Christmas? [more inside]
posted by Ziggy Zaga on Dec 20, 2007 - 17 answers

When you find yourself in a life-harming situation due to a unique administrative hiccup in a government bureaucracy (and since no one's anticipated this sort of hiccup, no one's empowered to override it)....what do you do? [more inside]
posted by jimmyjimjim on Oct 13, 2007 - 38 answers

ResearchFilter Part 2: Some weeks ago, I asked about theories of collaboration and received some excellent research suggestions. Now, I'm reworking my thesis proposal and would like to include some details about the history of corporation. Not critiques the modern corporate entity, but an overview of the origins of incorporation, bureaucracy, etc. Any suggestions would be much appreciated! [more inside]
posted by aladfar on Mar 9, 2007 - 4 answers

How do we get married in Multnomah County, OR? [more inside]
posted by pdb on Sep 5, 2006 - 10 answers

Let's say you emigrated to the USA from Italy with your family when you were just a child and you're now in your 20's. You find yourself in a situation where, for one reason or another, you've lost your birth certificate, your citizenship papers and your passport and you want to set about obtaining them again. How would you go about doing it? Where would you even start? Could you come up with a detailed step-by-step plan? It would seem to be a Catch-22. Can you get one document without having the other.
posted by TheManticore on May 24, 2006 - 20 answers

I'm looking for a good book on the history of bureaucracy, care to recommend some? [more inside]
posted by Kattullus on Apr 20, 2006 - 8 answers

Who writes all those pages and pages of text that the US government generates? More to the point, might someone pay me to write some of them? [more inside]
posted by nebulawindphone on Feb 10, 2006 - 23 answers

Why do signs to deter trespassers use the convention "Posted: No Trespassing" when the very fact that such a sign is physically posted makes the use of the word "Posted" redundant? [more inside]
posted by eschatfische on Jun 26, 2005 - 15 answers

Unexpected death in the family. I'm in charge of finding out how to obtain a memorial bench on the California coast, preferably in a state park. [more inside]
posted by mudpuppie on Jun 20, 2005 - 5 answers

What is the best non-cynical advice you have heard (or can offer) on how to excel within a government bureaucracy?
posted by profwhat on Apr 12, 2005 - 29 answers