Red Tape

This is a very common idiomatic expression. We use the term " red tape " to denote anything that may delay or hold us up, whatever the process may be. It also refers to a lot of unnecessary bureaucracy or paperwork.

This term originated from the fact that legal and official documents were tied up or bound with red cloth tape in 16th and continuing up to the 19th century. The difficulty of accessing these documents led to the current idiomatic expression.

If you want to say that something is being delayed due to red tape, you'd say, "The budget approval for this project is tied up in red tape."

Usually around election time, politicians promise to reduce bureaucracy by saying that they will cut the red tape in government.