Other Definitions
wonk (dict)
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WonkWonk was originally a 1960s slang word applied to an excessively studious person (equivalent to "grind" or "nerd"). The origins of the term are obscure. It has been described as a simple reversal of "know," linked to an obscure Old English word, and attributed to Royal Navy slang for a learned but inexperienced midshipman. "Policy wonk"--meaning someone both deeply knowledgeable about and fascinated by the details of government programs--entered general usage in the 1990s during the administration of U. S. president Bill Clinton. Admirers and detractors alike described the Clinton administration as a haven for policy wonks, Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore first among equals. Admirers saw Clinton's wonkish tendencies as a welcome change from what they regarded as the detached, ideologically driven leadership of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. Detractors believed that Clinton's obession with policy details caused him to lose sight of larger goals, and to spend valuable time agonizing over minutae that should have been left to staff members. "Policy wonk" fell out of general usage after the election of George W. Bush to the presidency in 2000. Whether it will be revived to describe members of a future administration remains to be seen. However, the term was parodied by the blog Wonkette (which in style and substance is almost gleefully non-wonkish). References - ''Think Tanks, Public Policy, and the Politics of Expertise
by Andrew Rich (2004) ISBN 052183029X'' - ''The Transformation of American Politics: The New Washington and the Rise of Think Tanks
by David M. Ricci(1994) ISBN 0300061234'' - ''Idea Brokers : Think Tanks And The Rise Of The New Policy Elite
by James A. Smith (1993) ISBN 0029295556'' See Also *Policy Wonk
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