Becoming Bureaucrats: Socialization at the Front Lines of Government Service - Hardcoverby Zachary W. Oberfield (Author) Bureaucrats are important symbols of the governments that employ them. Contrary to popular stereotypes, they determine much about the way policy is ultimately enacted and experienced by citizens. While we know a great deal about bureaucrats and their actions, we know little about their development. Are particular types of people drawn to government work, or are government workers forged by the agencies they work in?