Politburos under both Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong were later criticized for being dysfunctional and largely decorative, allowing the top leaders to dictate both party policy and the fate of the other leaders.
Joycelyn Elders | Five Elders | Elders Limited | ''The Four and Twenty Elders Casting their Crowns before the Divine Throne'', c. 1803–5. William Blake | ''Susanna and the Elders'', 1610 - Schönborn Collection, Pommersfelden | Elders of the Universe |