Rational Bureaucracy and the Crisis of Culture According to Max Weber, "rational bureaucracy" is an ideal-type of social organization. But this ideal-type cannot bridge the gap between power and society, something we could call alienation. It is a myth, and if Max Weber resorts to the concept of rationality, it is not because of any scientific need, but by reference to a cultural axiology. He can therefore be criticized by analyzing the actual behavior of bureaucrats, which often is less than rational, but also by challenging a culture that wants or claims to be rationalistic. In Russia, the monstrosity of bureaucracy is the consequence of a crisis of culture.