‘懒政’ (lǎn zhèng) is a compound noun meaning ‘inert governance’ or ‘government inaction’ — referring to officials or agencies that avoid responsibility, delay decisions, or fail to implement policies effectively. The first character 懒 (lǎn) means ‘lazy’ or ‘unwilling to exert effort’, while 政 (zhèng) means ‘government’, ‘administration’, or ‘governance’. Together, they form a critical political term used in official discourse, media, and public commentary to describe bureaucratic lethargy, procedural avoidance, or passive resistance to reform.

This term carries strong negative connotations and is commonly found in reports on administrative efficiency, anti-corruption campaigns, and government service evaluations. It often appears alongside phrases like ‘不作为’ (bù zuòwéi, ‘non-action’) or ‘慢作为’ (màn zuòwéi, ‘slow action’). While not a formal legal category, it signals systemic dysfunction and is frequently cited in central government directives urging cadres to ‘dare to act and assume responsibility’.