political appointee
Nominated government official
A political appointee is someone appointed to a government position by an elected official, typically the president or a governor, rather than hired through civil service examination or career advancement.
These positions—ambassadorships, cabinet secretaries, agency heads—often go to campaign supporters, donors, or allies: The new administration replaced career diplomats with political appointees.
The term sometimes carries a whiff of patronage, implying loyalty over qualifications.
- cabinet memberSenior government official
- West WingPresidential office area
- nominationFormal candidate selection
- Senate confirmationLegislative approval of appointments
- policymakerOne who sets rules
vetting · background check · transition team · patronage · czar · ambassador · chief of staff · executive order · press secretary · election cycle · lame duck · compliance officer · coalition builder · revolving door · rubber stamp · auditor general · spoils system · Senate approval
- government hiringcivil servant, state employee, public employee, government job, federal jobs
- diplomatsambassador, diplomat, consul, envoy, emissary
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