Includes elective and appointive officials and employees, permanent or temporary, whether in the career or non-career service, including military and police personnel, regardless of compensation.

Includes elective and appointive officials and employees, permanent or temporary, whether in the career or non-career service, including military and police personnel, regardless of compensation.

• A. Public servants
• B. Civil servants
• C. Government employees
• D. Public officials

Answer: (D)

The idea here is the broad definition of who is considered a public official—someone who holds a government office or performs public duties, regardless of how they entered the service or how they are paid. This includes people who are elected to office, those appointed to positions, and it covers permanent or temporary roles, whether in the career or non-career track, and even military and police personnel acting in their official capacity. Because of that wide scope, the term that best fits this description is public officials. Other terms tend to imply narrower groups. Public servants and civil servants are more typical labels for government workers within a specific framework (often excluding elected officials or uniformed personnel), and government employees is a broad label that doesn’t always explicitly include all categories like elected officials or uniformed personnel.

The idea here is the broad definition of who is considered a public official—someone who holds a government office or performs public duties, regardless of how they entered the service or how they are paid. This includes people who are elected to office, those appointed to positions, and it covers permanent or temporary roles, whether in the career or non-career track, and even military and police personnel acting in their official capacity. Because of that wide scope, the term that best fits this description is public officials.

Other terms tend to imply narrower groups. Public servants and civil servants are more typical labels for government workers within a specific framework (often excluding elected officials or uniformed personnel), and government employees is a broad label that doesn’t always explicitly include all categories like elected officials or uniformed personnel.