Where everything is bipartisan until it is not.
A person or group with enough influence to determine who wins office without holding the position themselves. They wield power without accountability—the ultimate political puppet master.
The political dark art of torpedoing a candidate's campaign by excavating and circulating their embarrassing photos from the internet's eternal memory banks. Named after a 2010 incident, it's essentially weaponized archaeology for the social media age, proving that what happens at Halloween parties doesn't stay at Halloween parties.
A politician's informal group of trusted advisors who aren't part of the official cabinet or staff, meeting privately to provide unfiltered counsel. It's the real decision-makers minus the official titles and public scrutiny.
A ruler or noble of significant rank among Turkish, Tatar, Mongol, or Central Asian peoples, wielding authority over territory and subjects with varying degrees of benevolence. Historical titles carry weight; modern business executives wish they had this much casual power.