The Endless Maze of Red Tape: When Bureaucracy Becomes a Barrier to Help The concept of "ordeal mechanism theory" has gained attention in recent months thanks to journalist Annie Lowrey's book The Time Tax .
At its core, the idea posits that certain government benefits are designed to be difficult to access – not out of cruelty, but as a means to ensure only those who truly need assistance can get it.
This concept may sound counterintuitive, but bear with me.