red tape
noun
mass noun
- excessive bureaucracy or adherence to rules and formalities, especially in public business繁文缛节, 官僚习气, （尤指公务中的）繁琐手续：
this law will just create more red tape.
该法案只会造成更多的官僚主义。
词源
early 18th cent.: so named because of the red or pink tape used to bind and secure official documents.