Front-man

In the year 1086, Japanese Emperor Shirakawa abdicated from the throne ostensiby to pursue a life of contemplation. By doing so, he greatly reduced his exposure to assassination and unpopularity...while continuing to rule behind the scenes through what the Japanese came to call “Insei” (loosely: rule from the former Emperor's home).

"The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes" --The character “Sidonia” from Benjamin Disraeli's novel Coningsby

I figured that out long before I'd ever heard the Disraeli quote. Why would anyone with brains risk being a target of criticism and hatred when it would be so much easier to be either an adviser to the nominal head of state, or to supply advisors to the nominal head of state? That way the nominal head of state takes the blame for problems, and when (s)he is replaced, you or your agents can simply re-align yourselves with his (her) successor.

This is why I did not trouble myself about the recent US presidential elections. I suppose it does matter a little in terms of personality and effectiveness, but not so much that those “behind the scenes” don't ultimately get their way.

The nominal head of state—the front-man—is one aspect of the larger issue of secret government. Hundreds of pages of detailed legislation such as the so-called “Patriot Act” (in reality the Treasonous Act) suddenly show up in Congress before there had been any time to set up congressional committees to write them indicate that there is a great deal of legislative process that has no transparency whatsoever to the public.

There is more than just one layer of indirection. The think-tanks which produce legislation and policy behind the scenes are not the real power behind the throne either. The real power belongs to the people who pay the salaries for professional policy wonks with no visible means of support. The people in charge are completely invisible to the rest of us.