Recently, after applying for a passport, my application was denied ostensibly because of a new regulation stating that a birth certificate in a passport application should have the names of the applicant's parents.
But whether or not this is a fair or valid addendum to the process is not the issue. The birth certificate I submitted did, in fact, have my mother's full name. I called about this, and was told that I needed my father's name as well. I called again and was told that just my mother's name should be fine. After several calls to both the state department and the passport agency, I was told that the problem was that my mother's name was on the wrong side of the certificate. Bureaucracy at its finest. It should be made clear what the government needs from applicants.