Max Weber Research Paper

Max Weber had excellent ideas on the theories and characteristics that surrounded bureaucracies. He emphasized three overall ideas that would encompass a bureaucracy: there is a certain structure that embodies the bureaucracy and responsibilities are handed out to certify that there are exact duties to be carried out, next rules and regulations are spelled out and only those with proper authority can enforce and authorize commands of these regulations, and finally only those who have the right criteria and background to be involved in such bureaucracy can be employed. Weber goes on to state that in public and those institutions with government attributes have these three different fundamentals to account for their institutional authority …show more content…
The first type of authority is rational grounds which relies on the legitimacy of particular rules. Compliance in rational authority is controlled by an elected or chosen individual. Rational authority is that which is grounded in clearly defined laws. The obedience of people is not based on the capacity of any leader but on the legitimacy and competence that procedures and laws bestow upon persons in authority. Any contemporary society will depend on this type of rationalization. The second type of authority is traditional grounds which relies on customs and that such individuals in power have a right to employ authority. Traditional authority is legitimated by the sanctity of tradition. The ability and right to rule is passed down, It does not change overtime, does not facilitate social change, and it tends to be irrational and inconsistent, and perpetuates the status quo. Certain compliance in traditional grounds is controlled by an individual who has inherited the power traditional authority which indicates the presence of a more dominant personality (Weber 1958,3). This type of leader is someone who often times depends on established tradition or order. While Weber believes that this type of leader is also has a dominant personality, the prevailing order in society gives him the mandate and the authority to rule. This type of …show more content…
He states that Bureaucrats strives for the prestige that accompanies their ranks and positions. That the Criminal Justice System is motivated by dual objectives, such as perpetuating the system and increasing budgets. However, they don't want to create efficiencies they just want to create bigger bureaucracies, with more employees, more budgets, and more overtime. For example, Prisons don't care about focusing on preparing offenders for their release, they are focusing on making sure that their institution is safe. The Criminal Justice System only wants to help itself, just like Max Weber theorized about every other bureaucracy. In a prison bureaucracy, there is a formal organization and a informal organization. The formal organization in a prison is the rules, policies and chain of command. The informal organization in a prison includes "covert norms, beliefs, and attitudes that may create expectations and practices at variance with official procedures" (Industries,