Parallel state

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The "parallel state" is a term coined by American historian Robert Paxton^[1] to describe a collection of organizations or institutions that are state-like in their organization, management and structure, but are not officially part of the legitimate state or government.^[2] They serve primarily to promote the prevailing political and social ideology of the state.^[3]

The parallel state differs from the more commonly used "state within a state" in that they are usually endorsed by the prevailing political elite of a country, while the "state within a state" is a pejorative term to describe state-like institutions that operate without the consent of and even to the detriment to the authority of an established state (such as churches and religious institutions or secret societies with their own laws and court systems).

Parallel states are common in totalitarian societies, such as Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and the Soviet Union. Organizations usually associated with the idea of a Parallel state include political parties, unions, intelligence agencies, and militaries.