Final answer:
A bureaucracy is a system where important decisions are made by state officials, not elected representatives, characterized by many rules and central control.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives is known as a bureaucracy. This system is characterized by an administrative policy-making group and can be found in various types of governments, whether democratic or authoritarian, though it is not itself a form of government like democracy, monarchy, or oligarchy. Bureaucracies are often associated with a large number of rules and procedures that are designed to ensure uniformity and the central management of decision making within the state apparatus.