Post-WW I Pre-Balfour English Empire?

Notionally independent but have a branch of government whose members are inexplicably dominated by foreigners from the same nearby major power?

Corporate government with a veneer of local control but the same corporation across many nearby systems?

Imperial authorities stopped caring in cases where a particularly bad government gets bounced in favor of a better or more stable neighbor?

Imperial authorities caused the domination?

Imperial authorities bribed to look the other way?

Many possibilities.

-george

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