- access
- approach
- bad influence
- behind-the-scenes operator
- big cheese
- big gun
- big wheel
- bigwig
- black power
- bureaucracy
- chief
- clavis
- court
- directorate
- elite
- eminence grise
- entrance
- finagler
- five-percenter
- fixer
- four-percenter
- friend at court
- gamesman
- good influence
- gray eminence
- heavyweight
- hidden hand
- hierarchy
- higher echelons
- higher-ups
- influence
- influence peddler
- influencer
- ingroup
- key
- kingmaker
- lion
- lobby
- lobbyist
- logroller
- lords of creation
- Machiavellian
- machinator
- management
- maneuverer
- manipulator
- man of influence
- ministry
- name
- officialdom
- oncoming
- open sesame
- operator
- pork-barrel politician
- power
- power broker
- powers that be
- power structure
- prelacy
- pressure group
- Rasputin
- ruling class
- ruling classes
- sachem
- sinister influence
- special-interest group
- special interests
- strategist
- Svengali
- the administration
- the authorities
- the Establishment
- the ingroup
- the interests
- them
- the people upstairs
- the power elite
- the power structure
- the top
- they
- top brass
- very important person
- VIP
- wheeler-dealer
- wire-puller