A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle. They usually involve various extra-legal plots, designed to give political power to someone, while his opponents try to stop him. They can involve national or international political scenarios. Political corruption

Political corruption

Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...

, terrorism

Terrorism

Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...

, and warfare are common scenarios. Normally the political party in power has ulterior motives and often will wish for total Fascist

Fascism

Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...

 control and will work alone or with a shadow cabinet

Shadow Cabinet

The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...

. Exceptions to this rule includes The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)

The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)

The Manchurian Candidate is a 2004 American thriller film based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Richard Condon, and a reimagining of the previous 1962 film....

, where the political character is influenced unwillingly, and Vantage Point

Vantage point

Vantage point may refer to:* Vantage Point , a 2008 thriller film* Vantage Point , a 2008 rock album by dEUS* The Vantage Point, a magazine* The Vantage Point: Perspectives of the Presidency, 1963-1969, the memoirs of Lyndon B...

, an assassination based political thriller, which became more popular after the assassination of John F Kennedy.

Authors of political thrillers include Jeffrey Archer and Daniel Silva. Playwrights to have embraced the genre include Gary Mitchell

Gary Mitchell

Gary Mitchell is a Northern Irish playwright. By the 2000s, he had become "one of the most talked about voices in European theatre ... whose political thrillers have arguably made him Northern Ireland's greatest playwright"....

, who in the 2000s became "one of the most talked about voices in European theatre ... whose political thrillers have arguably made him Northern Ireland's greatest playwright".

When reviewing the film The Interpreter

The Interpreter

The Interpreter is a 2005 political thriller film starring Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, and Catherine Keener. It was the final film to be directed by Sydney Pollack.-Plot:...

, Erik Lundegaard recently attempted a definition:
Several post-9/11

Post-9/11

Post-9/11 is a term used to describe state of living in the United States or other parts of the world after the September 11 attacks, in reference to the many changes that have occurred due to the attacks...

 political thriller films refer to terrorism, the September 11 attacks, or both.