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Power Behind The Throne
The phrase "power behind the throne" refers to a person or group that informally exercises the real power of a high-ranking office, such as a head of state. In politics, it most commonly refers to a relative, aide, or nominal subordinate of a political leader (often called a " figurehead") who serves as ''de facto'' leader, setting policy through possessing great influence and/or skillful manipulation. The original concept of a power behind the throne was a Medieval-era figure of speech referring to the fact that the monarch's policies could be set by a counsellor not seated in the throne but standing behind it—perhaps whispering in the monarch's ear—out of common sight. In recent times, family members and official or unofficial advisers might take on a similar role. Sometimes it is difficult to assess whether such an accusation is true or a conspiracy theory. Historical examples Historical examples of a "power behind the throne" include: * Europe ** the Mayor of the Palac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cabal
A cabal is a group of people who are united in some close design, usually to promote their private views or interests in an ideology, a state, or another community, often by intrigue and usually unbeknownst to those who are outside their group. The use of this term usually carries negative connotations of political purpose, conspiracy and secrecy. It can also refer to a secret plot or a clique, or it may be used as a verb (to form a cabal or secretly conspire). The term is frequently employed as an antisemitic dog whistle, as evidenced both by its Hebrew origin and by its evocation of centuries-old antisemitic tropes. Etymology The term ''cabal'' is derived from Kabbalah (a word that has numerous spelling variations), the Jewish mystical and spiritual interpretation of the Hebrew scripture (קַבָּלָה). In Hebrew, it means "reception" or "acceptance", denoting the ''sod'' (secret) level of Jewish exegesis. In European culture ( Christian Cabala, Hermetic Qabalah) it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |