first flower of spring

Those who formally rule take their signals and commands not from the electorate as a body, but from a small group of men (plus a few women). This group will be called the Establishment. It exists even though that existence is stoutly denied. It is one of the secrets of the American social order. … A second secret is the fact that the existence of the Establishment—the ruling class—is not supposed to be discussed.
— Arthur S. Miller
George Washington University Professor of Law