Pundit

The demagogue is one who preaches doctrine he knows to be untrue to people he knows to be idiots.

Pundits are people who, while not having official roles in government, offer their opinions on public policy. The word 'pundit' derives from the Sanskrit word paṇḍita, meaning 'learned man'; unfortunately, being learned is no longer a prerequisite. Some pundits are well-read, educated, and sane. Others are screaming banshees and/or clueless idiots. Some are just ideologues.

Their employment is varied, ranging from think tanks to mainstream media outlets to academia. Pundits serve as an outside source of ideas for officials, and also tend to try to influence public opinion.

At their best, they present well-reasoned arguments for given courses of public policy. At their worst, they just rile up the uninformed to shout slogans.