policy wonk
noun1
Government, Politics A person who studies or develops strategies and policies, especially one who has a keen interest in and aptitude for technical details.
- Mondale's passionate attachment to the issue reflects his thralldom to the policy wonks and wise men of the Washington establishment.1984 Oct. 29, New Republic, p. 16
- Kirk O'Donnell, 42, who recently joined the campaign staff, is a unique combination of Boston pol and "policy wonk" who is best known in Washington as Tip O'Neill's former right-hand man, the guy who sold the speaker's program to the congressional troops.1988 July 25, Joe Klein, “'President Dukakis': what the First Hundred Days Could be Like”, in New York Magazine, volume 21, number 29, page 27:
2 more examples
- Clinton and Gore . . . . both are new-ideas moderates with a policy wonk's love of the intricacies of complex issues.1992 July 20, Walter Shapiro, “Gore A Hard-Won Sense of Ease”, in Time:
- But access to ministers is not the only reason right-of-centre policy wonks are excited.2010, The Economist, Jul-Aug, p. 25
- Hypernyms
- theoretician