The deep state is one of those concepts that has long gone beyond political science and turned into a media phenomenon. In the mass consciousness, it is associated with the invisible government, conspiracies, global control and power structures that "actually governing everyone". This is a convenient explanation for everything that seems incomprehensible, opaque or unfair in the functioning of states.
But is the deep state really a secret group in the shadow? Or maybe we are talking about a complex system of institutions, connections and processes that just not lies on the surface? What actually means the concept of Deep State, what it is in different countries, and why no real democracy is complete without a "deep" state, in this blog.
What is Deep State?
And those who treat this phenomenon neutral or positively, and those who consider it the cause of all the troubles of humanity, usually refer to "non -public mechanisms of politics and management of society and the state." The non -public sphere can be attributed to the backstage, management, bureaucratic or corporate practices that affect the state and society, but do not lie on the surface. It can be just a mundane work of bureaucracy, which is imperceptible to the general public.
The representation of conspirators or opponents of Deep State is that there is a certain "secret organization" that sits "above" and manages society exclusively in its own selfish interests. Of course, this myth does not work.
In fact, the management of economy, finances, society and the state is a complex process, mostly bureaucratic and political. In any large structure, sooner or later emerges, structured bureaucracy. Bureaucracy is not always effective and is almost dynamic, because its task is another - to ensure stability and controllability.
The more complicated the society, the more difficult the bureaucracy is arranged and the more there are various players. Impact groups, professional experts and officials who build steel traditions and culture of behavior in certain institutions. And all this together (formal bureaucracy, business interests, informal rules, traditions, sectoral and regional elites) and form a complex system of government.
We are dealing with many interconnected processes that often contradict each other and do not have a single decision -making center. There is no single “secret power”. However, there are many relatively independent, formal and informal structures.
Consperologists, seeking simple explanations, "appoint" Deep State to a sophisticated coordinator who prevents "ordinary people" or "true reformers" to embody their brilliant ideas. Yes, Trumpists and other pollists' conspirators stubbornly ignore the complexity of the world, because it did not understand them and uncomfortable.
Why do you need Deep State?
The existence of such a complex "multilayered" system provides the most important thing: the continuity of power and government. The controllability continues even when there is a serious external or internal stress of the system. For example, in Ukraine in 2014 and 2022.
Deep state also acts as a fuse. On the one hand, it can slow down the reforms, but on the other - saves from careless and dangerous "jumps" in the other direction.
On the contrary, if the whole system is overly centralized and all power is closed in "vertical" (like Putin in Russia), it makes the structure very fragile. It is necessary to disappear the center (due to defeat, revolution or death of the ruler) - and the whole structure can fly away, because there are no waste horizontal connections and stable informal institutions.
How to carry out reforms in Deep State?
Attempts to "break the bureaucracy" or "destroy Deep State" usually lead to destabilization. At the same time, it is also unreasonable to ignore the braking effect of old institutions. The only way is to realize that any changes require the uniting of stakeholders. This is how reforms can be implemented:
- To create a circle of beneficiaries - those who are profitable and who will protect it.
- To explain to society the meaning of change is that there is a public pressure "from below".
- Finding a compromise with those who oppose or beware of changes - in democracy, it is almost always necessary.
- To consolidate the result - in the form of laws, market mechanisms, informal rules, so that the new system becomes profitable and established.
It's endlessly far from simple decisions. But simple decisions can be started in hell. The US (the world) is very well illustrated.
