Back الدولة العميقة Arabic Stad don Breton Estat profund Catalan Gwladwriaeth Ddofn Welsh Tiefer Staat German Παρακράτος Greek Profunda ŝtato Esperanto Estado profundo Spanish دولت پنهان Persian Syvä valtio Finnish
Deep state[1] is a term used for (real or imagined) potential, unauthorized and often secret networks of power operating within a government, but independently of its political leadership, and in pursuit of their own agendas and goals.
Although the term originated in Turkey ("Derin Devlet"),[2][3][4] various interpretations of the concept have emerged in other national contexts. In some, "deep state" is used to refer to perceived shadowy conspiracies, while in others it describes concerns about the enduring influence of military, intelligence, and bureaucratic institutions on democratic governance. In many cases, the perception of a deep state is shaped by historical events, political struggles, and the balance of power within government institutions.
The use of the term has expanded beyond political science into popular culture, journalism and conspiracy theories, reflecting a broad range of beliefs about hidden networks of power operating behind the scenes. Particularly after the 2016 United States presidential election, deep state became much more widely used as a pejorative term with an overwhelmingly negative connotation, in the form of a conspiracy theory in the United States promoted by both the Donald Trump administration and conservative-leaning media outlets.[5][6]
- ^ (calque of Turkish: derin devlet)
"deep state". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. - ^ Bogosian, Eric (2017). Operation Nemesis: the assassination plot that avenged the Armenian genocide (First Back Bay paperback ed.). New York: Boston. pp. 307–308. ISBN 978-0-316-29210-8.
- ^ "Deep state | EBSCO Research Starters". www.ebsco.com. Retrieved 2025-04-11.
- ^ Wills, Matthew (2017-04-10). "The Turkish Origins of the "Deep State"". JSTOR Daily. Retrieved 2025-04-11.
- ^ Michaels, Jon D. (March 2018). "The American Deep State". Notre Dame Law Review. 93 (4): 1653–1670 – via HeinOnline.
- ^ Skowronek, Stephen; Dearborn, John A. & King, Desmond (2021). Phantoms of a Beleaguered Republic: The Deep State and the Unitary Executive. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-754308-5.