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Government Executive Editor in Chief Tom Shoop, along with other editors and staff correspondents, look at the federal bureaucracy from the outside in.

Are You a 'Govie'?

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You know what word I'm not really comfortable with? "Govies." I hear it a lot in reference to people who work in government these days, but it just sounds vaguely condescending -- unlike, say, "feds," which seems neutral. "Govies" feels closer to "bureaucrats."

But I wonder if this is one of those instances where this blog's tagline ("Outside the bureaucracy, looking in") comes into play. Is "govies" a commonly used term within the halls of government? Does it have any negative connotation? And what is the best non-pejorative colloquial term for federal employees?

Enlighten me, please.

Tom Shoop is vice president and editor in chief at Government Executive Media Group, where he oversees both print and online editorial operations. He started as associate editor of Government Executive magazine in 1989; launched the company’s flagship website, GovExec.com, in 1996; and was named editor in chief in 2007.

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