> If that term just refers to veteran government workers Because it clearly doesn't just refer to common government workers that exist across multiple administ

> If that term just refers to veteran government workers Because it clearly doesn't just refer to common government workers that exist across multiple administrations. It's the massively powerful leadership groups, political cliques, that influence agencies from the DOJ to Homeland to the FBI to NSA to CIA to the Pentagon and each military branch, and so on. They hand off ideological batons and pursue agendas across decades. One example is the Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz crew that wielded power across decades (approximately ~40 years), numerous presidencies, and various roles in and out of government. They're the Deep State personified. The Bush family was an integral part of enabling that clique although they float above it rather than swimming down in the muck where the political schemes are fleshed out (like deciding to invade Iraq and topple Saddam at some point in the future, back in 1991, as Wolfowitz & Co. did). They're able to pursue political agendas in and out of roles, through influence and connections in the government and private sector. Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz were able to wait out the Clinton Presidency (which was only interested in no-fly zones and sanctions in Iraq) and then finally pursue their Iraq invasion with the friendly George W Bush admin. That's the sort of big ideological pursuit and time carry that only powerful pieces of the Deep State can successfully pull off.