Player (political)

A political player is a participant in politics who has or is perceived to have influence or power, although usually on a smaller level than a global power elite. The phrase may refer to an individual who is a candidate or elected or appointed official,^[1] but more commonly refers to someone who is not in office but still wields power or influence, such as a lobbyist,^[2] a fundraiser^[3] or contributor,^[4] a whistleblower,^[5] a political consultant,^[6] a labor union^[7] or labor leader,^[8] a corporation,^[9] or even an entire industry.^[10] More recently, with the rise of the Internet, web-based groups such as Moveon.org and online organizations, like ActBlue, have become political players as well.^[11]

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