political intrigue
Backroom governmental plotting
Political intrigue is scheming and maneuvering for power or advantage, typically involving secret plots, shifting alliances, and calculated deception.
The term suggests backroom deals, hidden agendas, and the manipulation of people and events: The novel is full of political intrigue and assassination attempts.
Court intrigue historically involved nobles vying for royal favor; modern political intrigue plays out in legislatures, campaigns, and bureaucracies.
- espionageCovert intelligence gathering
- cloak and daggerInvolving secrecy and intrigue
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
- conspiracyClandestine coordinated scheming
- deep stateCovert governmental power structure
corruption · power play · machinations · smoke-filled room · propaganda · cunning · factionalism · cabal · back channel · betrayal · dirty tricks · clandestine · disinformation · dark arts · counterintelligence · Machiavellian · pulling strings · blackmail
- drama themesrevenge, betrayal, forbidden love, love triangle, family conflict
- Julius CaesarJulius Caesar, Caesar, Brutus, Cassius, Marc Antony
- political fictiondystopia, utopia, Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1984, dystopian fiction
- political intrigueconspiracy, treason, plot, collusion, sedition
- Renaissance Courtscourtiers, patrons, ambassadors, cardinals, chamberlain
- Shakespeare's historieskings, queens, English history, monarchy, succession
political intrigueopen government
Right to state information
public accountability · sunshine laws · freedom of information · transparency · good governance