Reglementeeritus

Reglementeeritus is a fictional sociopolitical and organizational condition described as an excessive preoccupation with creating and enforcing rules within institutions. The term combines reglement (regulation) with the medical suffix -itis, used metaphorically. It is not a real medical diagnosis but a concept employed in policy analysis and critique.

Overview: The concept captures how bureaucratic cultures may treat rule-making as a primary workflow. In analysis, reglementeeritus appears when rule proposals proliferate beyond practical need, with focus shifting from outcomes to process adherence. It is discussed in governance, public administration, and organizational behavior.

Symptoms and causes: Common manifestations include frequent new guidelines, layered compliance requirements, extensive documentation, and long decision cycles. Root causes cited include liability concerns, political incentives, siloed governance, risk aversion, and incentives for regulatory expansion through audits.

Impact and diagnosis: The condition can reduce organizational agility, raise administrative costs, and hinder innovation. In scholarly analysis, diagnosis relies on sustained patterns of rule proliferation relative to problem severity, often with weak sunset provisions.

Management: Remedies emphasize reform and simplification, sunset clauses, impact assessments, clearer accountability, and a shift toward outcomes and flexibility. Approaches include regulatory review, tiered systems, and decommissioning processes.

History and usage: The term appears in late 20th and early 21st century policy discussions and satire as critique of red tape rather than a biological condition.