The phrase “deep state” sounds like something pulled from a political thriller: shadowy officials making decisions behind closed doors while elected leaders merely play their parts in public. But in reality, the idea is far more complicated.
Governments really do contain powerful institutions that survive elections, intelligence agencies really do operate in secrecy, and history has shown that officials can sometimes abuse that secrecy. But the deep state has also become a catch-all explanation for everything from stubborn bureaucrats to criminal investigations and political defeats.
So, where does this term come from? And how has it been co-opted in the government? Click on to find out.