Clout

I assume that it was unwise to discuss matters where the boss could hear, but when his nephew was hired the first question in everyone's mind was--was he hired for reasons other than competence? In Chicago, the son of an alderman's buddy faced the same unspoken question. It may have been unfair--the boss' nephew might have inherited the same native capacities that put the boss where he was. But one wondered--until the alderman's buddy's son actually showed he could do the work.

We have a new kind of "alderman's buddy" these days. And the unspoken question is sometimes unfair now too.