Bureaucrat
A government official who works within the administrative structure of the state, typically hired based on merit and responsible for implementing laws, managing public programs, and enforcing regulations.
A government official who works within the administrative structure of the state, typically hired based on merit and responsible for implementing laws, managing public programs, and enforcing regulations.
Example: A GS-12 policy analyst at the Department of Transportation who reviews grant applications for highway infrastructure projects is a career bureaucrat.
Common misconception: Bureaucrats make the laws. Bureaucrats implement and enforce the laws passed by the legislature; they do not have the constitutional authority to draft or pass statutes, though they do write the specific regulations that interpret those statutes.