public official
Elected or appointed
A public official is a person who holds a position of authority in government, whether elected, appointed, or employed.
The term covers everyone from presidents and judges to city clerks and police officers—anyone exercising governmental power or managing public affairs.
The public official declined to comment on the investigation.
Public officials are generally held to higher standards of accountability than private citizens.
Elected head of municipality
- governorState's chief executive
- senatorUpper chamber member
- congresspersonElected federal legislator
- legislatorElected maker of laws
councillor · minister · parliamentarian · commissioner · alderman · magistrate · ambassador · consul
Organized effort toward goal
- ballotVoting document
- voterBallot-casting citizen
- constituencyElectoral district's voters
- representativeOne who acts for another
incumbent · reelection · primary · candidate · nominee · term · seat · mandate
Formal binding promise
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
- stewardshipResponsible care of entrusted things
- transparencyState of being see-through
ethics · disclosure · fiduciary · impartiality · recusal · responsibility · conflict of interest · code of conduct
Bureaucratic obstacles to action
- paperworkAdministrative written tasks
- civil serviceGovernment's administrative workforce
- procedurePrescribed sequence of actions
- protocolPrescribed conduct rules
documentation · files · records · department · agency · office · desk · clerk
Corrupt payment for influence
- graftIllicit political gain
- kickbackIllegal payment for services
- nepotismPreferring kin in hiring
- cronyismFavoring friends in appointments
embezzlement · misconduct · scandal · indictment · impeachment · investigation · whistleblower · malfeasance
Legal authority's scope
- administrationOrganizational oversight and control
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- policyAdopted principle of action
- regulationOfficial rules governing conduct
enforcement · mandate · legislation · statute · ordinance · decree · directive · committee
mayor
Elected head of municipality
- governorState's chief executive
- senatorUpper chamber member
- congresspersonElected federal legislator
legislator · councillor · minister · parliamentarian · commissioner · alderman · magistrate · ambassador · consul · ombudsman
campaign
Organized effort toward goal
- ballotVoting document
- voterBallot-casting citizen
- constituencyElectoral district's voters
representative · incumbent · reelection · primary · candidate · nominee · term · seat · mandate · platform
oath
Formal binding promise
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
- stewardshipResponsible care of entrusted things
transparency · ethics · disclosure · fiduciary · impartiality · recusal · responsibility · conflict of interest · code of conduct · sworn duty
red tape
Bureaucratic obstacles to action
- paperworkAdministrative written tasks
- civil serviceGovernment's administrative workforce
- procedurePrescribed sequence of actions
protocol · documentation · files · records · department · agency · office · desk · clerk · formality
bribery
Corrupt payment for influence
cronyism · embezzlement · misconduct · scandal · indictment · impeachment · investigation · whistleblower · malfeasance · abuse of power
jurisdiction
Legal authority's scope
- administrationOrganizational oversight and control
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- policyAdopted principle of action
regulation · enforcement · mandate · legislation · statute · ordinance · decree · directive · committee · hearing
- German bureaucracyforms, paperwork, residence permit, work permit, birth certificates
- local officialsmayor, city mayor, alderman, council member, councilman
- French governmentregions, prefecture, departments, communes, departement
public officialprivate citizen
ordinary citizen · civilian · member of the public · private person · layperson
public officialcorporate executive
Senior company leader
business owner · entrepreneur · industrialist · merchant · freelancer
public officialoutsider
One excluded from group
civilian · grassroots activist · common man · man on the street · John Q. Public
public, officer, official, publish, publication, publishing, publisher, publicly, unpublished