Deep state

The “deep state” is a term for a secret network of power within a government that operates independently of the official leadership to pursue its own agenda. While the term originated in Turkey, it has been applied to various national contexts, including a conspiracy theory in the United States that posits such a network exists within the U.S. federal government, primarily comprised of members from agencies like the FBI and CIA.

• Core concept: A hidden, powerful, and unelected group working against or outside the control of the elected government.
• Origin: The term originated in Turkey to describe a coalition of high-level officials within the intelligence services, military, judiciary, and even organized crime, who allegedly worked to counter threats to the secular republic.
• United States context: In the U.S., the “deep state” is a political conspiracy theory suggesting a hidden, anti-Trump cabal within the federal bureaucracy, particularly in intelligence agencies.

In the United States, a political conspiracy theory posits the existence of a deep state within the US federal government, primarily composed of members of the FBI and CIA. Proponents argue that a clandestine network of conspirators within the leadership of the financial and industrial sectors exercise power alongside or within the elected government.

There have been precursors to the idea of a deep state conspiracy since at least the 1950s. The term deep state originated in the 1990s as a reference to high-level anti-democratic coalitions in Turkey, but began to be used to refer to the American government as well, including during the Obama administration. Allegations of a deep state conspiracy reached mainstream recognition under the first presidency of Donald Trump, who falsely claimed the “deep state” was working against him and his administration’s agenda.

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