Politician/bureaucrat

Hi,

Here are a few general comments.

He is a politician. Suggests he is or wants to be a law-maker, a member of a legislative body of some kind.

He is a bureaucrat. He works in an office, often a government office. His work consists of processing papers. This is uually a negative way of describing someone.

I would understand the both term as having the same mea

Thanks Clive.

Then, can I assume "bureaucrat" means simply "a government servant"? If it's true, I think then "all politicians" are bureaucrats but not vice-versa. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Hi,

Then, can I assume "bureaucrat" means simply "a government servant"? As long as they work in an office, at a desk. Not, for example, a mailman.

If it's true, I think then "all politicians" are bureaucrats but not vice-versa. Not really. We don't usually say that politicians work for the government. They are the government. (Or they wnt to be.)

Thanks Clive again.
So I think I can't say "policemen", "militarymen" and similar kind of government servants are not bureaucrats. Is it correct?

Hi,

A bureaucrat works in an office all day. ('Bureau', basically, means 'office'.)

Most police officers and soldiers don't.

Best wishes, Clive