It's an "iron law" that an oligarchy will form in any organization, and this includes nations.
There will always be elites. And the only way elites are ever held accountable is other elites, looking after their own self interest, in competition for goods/resources, use their powers against each other.
It's also an iron law in politics that "an organized minority defeats and unorganized majority".
Official (as suggested by others) or unofficial (as chosen by self within perceivable)...
OF'FICE, noun (Latin officium; ob and facio, to make or do.) - "a particular duty, charge or trust conferred by public authority"...take the suggested "public authority" out, and one is left with being particular (life) within duty (inception towards death).