You Work in a Bureaucratic Organization

You work in a bureaucratic organization. A citizen impacted by your agency's regulation has made a good case to you for bending the rules in a particular situation. You explain the circumstances to your superiors, who insist that you "go by the book," with no exceptions. Why?

A) "The book" consists of the laws they are obligated to enforce.
B) They are afraid of being rebuked by Congress if they depart from "the book."
C) They are unimaginative and "the book" provides ready-made answers.
D) They operate only within their narrow specialization.
E) They can hide behind "the book" if their actions are unpopular.