Which term defines the frequent phenomenon of bureaucratic implementation that produces policy more to the liking of the bureaucracy than originally legislated, but not so much as to trigger a political reaction from elected officials?

Bureaucratic Drift.

Explanation:

This term was first implemented in 1987, by Mathew McCubbins, Roger Noll, and Barry Weingast. In simpler words this refers to how bureaucrats can manipulate policy, often oriented to their own interest, however, this can also result in delays that may favor the government, providing more time to develop new and improved policies over time.

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