This research is to study and develop formal models of bureaucratic communications. Application is to the development of artificially intelligent bureaucratic communication networks that can reason and advise about bureaucratic rules and procedures, monitor and expedite message handling, utilize heuristics to circumvent procedural breakdowns, accommodate exception handling, and facilitate adaptation and evolution of bureaucratic rule structures. The research focuses on structured communications within bureaucracies; that is, communications having a bounded syntax and vocabulary (e.g., bureaucratic forms, verifications, requests). The purpose is to understand the basic nature of these communications, and to reduce them to symbolic form, amenable to machine reasoning. A logic-based representation of bureaucratic messages and communication is proposed. The significance of the research is that it will lead to a deeper understanding of the role and limitations of bureaucratic rationalization, and the potential application of artificial intelligence technology in bureaucracies.
