public servant
State workforce member
A public servant is someone employed by the government to serve the public interest—elected officials, civil servants, police officers, teachers in public schools.
The term emphasizes duty and accountability to citizens rather than private interests: Public servants should be held to high ethical standards.
It can be used sincerely or ironically, depending on whether the person lives up to the ideal.
Authority-sanctioned person or status
- bureaucratGovernment administrative official
- administratorPerson who manages operations
- legislatorElected maker of laws
- senatorUpper chamber member
representative · councilor · mayor · governor · ambassador · diplomat · minister · magistrate
Required moral task
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- transparencyState of being see-through
- impartialityFreedom from prejudice
stewardship · oath · ethics · professionalism · discretion · confidentiality · nonpartisan · meritocracy
Professional work location
- agencyPower to act
- departmentDistinct unit within organization
- bureauOffice or furniture chest
- ministryClergy's work or state department
courthouse · city hall · parliament · legislature · embassy · consulate · precinct · municipality
Collective of connected people
- constituencyElectoral district's voters
- electorateEligible voting body
- taxpayerOne who owes government duties
- citizenLegal national member
resident · voter · town hall · ombudsman · petition · transparency · accessibility · representation
Bureaucratic obstacles to action
- paperworkAdministrative written tasks
- proceduresSet methods for tasks
- protocolPrescribed conduct rules
- hierarchyRanked authority structure
documentation · forms · filing · stamps · approvals · clearance · processing · backlog
Government's administrative workforce
- tenureProtected employment status
- pensionRetiree's ongoing benefit
- benefitsGains or helpful effects
- salaryFixed periodic employment payment
grade · classification · appointment · confirmation · swearing-in · posting · transfer · secondment
How authority is exercised
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- regulationOfficial rules governing conduct
- enforcementCompelling compliance with rules
- complianceAdhering to requirements
administration · policymaking · legislation · adjudication · diplomacy · inspection · licensing · permitting
official
Authority-sanctioned person or status
- bureaucratGovernment administrative official
- administratorPerson who manages operations
- legislatorElected maker of laws
senator · representative · councilor · mayor · governor · ambassador · diplomat · minister · magistrate · ombudsman
duty
Required moral task
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- transparencyState of being see-through
impartiality · stewardship · oath · ethics · professionalism · discretion · confidentiality · nonpartisan · meritocracy · incorruptibility
office
Professional work location
- agencyPower to act
- departmentDistinct unit within organization
- bureauOffice or furniture chest
ministry · courthouse · city hall · parliament · legislature · embassy · consulate · precinct · municipality · jurisdiction
community
Collective of connected people
- constituencyElectoral district's voters
- electorateEligible voting body
- taxpayerOne who owes government duties
citizen · resident · voter · town hall · ombudsman · petition · transparency · accessibility · representation · engagement
red tape
Bureaucratic obstacles to action
- paperworkAdministrative written tasks
- proceduresSet methods for tasks
- protocolPrescribed conduct rules
hierarchy · documentation · forms · filing · stamps · approvals · clearance · processing · backlog · mandate
civil service
Government's administrative workforce
salary · grade · classification · appointment · confirmation · swearing-in · posting · transfer · secondment · retirement
governance
How authority is exercised
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- regulationOfficial rules governing conduct
- enforcementCompelling compliance with rules
compliance · administration · policymaking · legislation · adjudication · diplomacy · inspection · licensing · permitting · auditing
- bureaucracybureaucracy, bureaucrat, bureaucrats, red tape, civil service
- government jobsfederal jobs, government jobs, bureaucrat, officials, congressman
- officialsofficial, officials, bailiff, bureaucrat, congressman
- Canadian GovernmentHouse of Commons, Senate, Prime Minister, federal government, parliamentary democracy
- public servicegovernment employee, government workers, federal workers, state employee, government jobs
- governmentgovernment, ministries, legislature, judiciary, executive branch
public servantentrepreneur
One who starts businesses
industrialist · freelancer · corporate executive · merchant · businessman
public servantcorrupt official
Dishonest person in authority
kleptocrat · grifter · profiteer · opportunist · plutocrat
public, publish, servant, publication, publishing, publicize, publisher, publicly, servants