Ruling cliques generally differ from another type of oligarchy: a military junta.
Ruling cliques tend to reduce accountability within the governing elite, thereby steering the established political system towards one that is more autocratic, rather than democratic, in nature.
The danger of ruling cliques stems from the inherent self-interest of any informally organised system of political governance.
[…] The implied objective of this line of thought is a nightmare world in which the Leader, or some ruling clique, controls not only the future but the past.
This prospect frightens me much more than bombs […]”Some ruling cliques could be considered a form of aristocracy while others are based on a very small circle of rulers rather than a broader based organization such as a political party.