Some of this is justn govt red tape and some of it is by design. Makes you addicted to govt. Then, they can ask for me. Give us more money, more people and they don't solve the problem. It protects the government. A permanent govt state, socialistic in nature.
It is the George Costanza model of act busy. hahahaha...i posed like 3 seconds after you this same thought.
This phenomenon is not limited to the govt, but any large organization with lots of "management" has this issue....it just seems exemplary in govt.