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State of Terror


State of Terror is a novel co-authored by Hillary Rodham Clinton, who served as the 67th from 2009 to 2013, and , a Canadian author known for her bestselling mystery series featuring Chief Inspector Gamache. The book was published on October 12, 2021, by and , marking Clinton's debut in fiction writing. The narrative follows Ellen Adams, a executive appointed as by a new U.S. president despite their political rivalry, as she confronts a wave of terrorist bombings in and a looming nuclear threat orchestrated by an international conspiracy involving rogue elements from , , , and . Adams assembles a team including a young , a , and a longtime friend to unravel the plot, which exploits perceived U.S. vulnerabilities following a period of domestic political turmoil. The story draws on Clinton's diplomatic experience to depict high-stakes negotiations, intelligence operations, and the complexities of global alliances, blending elements of , personal drama, and geopolitical tension. Upon release, State of Terror debuted at number one on the bestseller list, alongside lists from and , and film rights were acquired by Wells for . It garnered endorsements for its fast-paced suspense and authentic portrayal of statecraft from outlets including and , though some reviews critiqued it as prioritizing insider appeal over literary depth, characterizing it as a novelty enhanced by the co-authors' profiles rather than standalone innovation. The collaboration highlighted themes of female leadership in and institutional fragility, but also prompted discourse on the intersection of politics and publishing, with detractors viewing it as promotional amid Clinton's public profile.

Overview

Premise

State of Terror is a co-authored by former U.S. Hillary Rodham Clinton and mystery novelist , published on October 12, 2021, by . The novel centers on Ellen Adams, a businesswoman appointed as by a newly inaugurated following a period of American that diminished U.S. global influence. This setup establishes a world of heightened geopolitical tensions, where state adversaries and non-state terrorist networks exploit perceived Western vulnerabilities to orchestrate destabilizing actions. The core premise revolves around Adams' entry into high-stakes amid a cascade of terrorist incidents, including bombings in European cities and threats extending to the , linked to smuggled devices. These attacks disrupt alliances and force the to mobilize a small team of trusted aides to trace the orchestration behind the escalating crises. The narrative integrates Clinton's firsthand diplomatic insights with Penny's expertise in suspenseful plotting, creating a that examines real-world challenges through fictional . This initial configuration underscores a precarious global order, where prior U.S. retrenchment has emboldened actors intent on challenging liberal democratic structures via , setting the stage for Adams' urgent investigative efforts without predefined alliances or clear intelligence leads.

Main Characters

Ellen Adams functions as the and , a role that positions her at the forefront of management in the novel's diplomatic framework. Previously a successful head of a global , Adams demonstrates resilience and strategic foresight, qualities that enable her to contend with entrenched bureaucratic resistance and geopolitical intricacies despite lacking traditional diplomatic experience. Her as an outsider leveraging private-sector competence reflects patterns in where non-career officials confront institutional inertia. Supporting figures bolster Adams's efforts within the U.S. apparatus, including Charles Boynton, her , who manages departmental and coordinates responses to emerging threats. President Douglas Williams, embodying executive command, authorizes Adams's initiatives amid imperatives, illustrating tensions between political appointees and priorities in high-pressure scenarios. These relationships emphasize dynamics of professional loyalty and operational competence, essential for averting escalation in the story's crisis-driven narrative. Antagonists manifest as elusive international actors affiliated with state-sponsored networks, prioritizing calculated disruption over overt , which aligns with the pragmatic villainy common to espionage thrillers involving operations. Their shadowy operations test the protagonists' alliances, underscoring betrayals rooted in rather than abstract , while exposing vulnerabilities in global intelligence coordination.

Authors and Development

Hillary Clinton's Background and Role

Hillary Rodham Clinton served as the 67th from January 21, 2009, to February 1, 2013, overseeing diplomatic efforts amid rising concerns over and . In this role, she prioritized securing loose nuclear materials globally and organizing multilateral sanctions against Iran's nuclear program, which involved securing agreement from nine of fifteen UN Security Council members, including and , to impose the toughest measures in history at the time. Her prior positions as U.S. Senator from (2001–2009) and (1993–2001) further exposed her to national security briefings and legislative oversight of , providing a foundation for insights into State Department operations and . Clinton's tenure emphasized "," blending diplomacy with targeted actions to counter threats like , which she identified as surpassing Cold War-era risks in urgency. She advocated for international frameworks, such as in debates over Iran's nuclear ambitions, where she supported verification mechanisms while critiquing unchecked , later framing the 2015 deal as requiring "distrust and verify." These experiences informed authentic depictions in State of Terror, where her input lent credibility to portrayals of high-stakes negotiations and response protocols amid nuclear threats. In contributing to the novel, Clinton drew on firsthand knowledge to infuse realistic policy details, including the tensions between multilateral coordination and decisive action, reflecting her career-long preference for alliance-building over —though this approach has faced scrutiny for potential delays in addressing immediate dangers from non-state actors or adversarial regimes. Her earlier work, Hard Choices (published April 10, 2014), chronicled these diplomatic challenges, serving as a precursor to her fictional exploration of similar themes in a format. This background grounded the book's narrative in empirical , enhancing its portrayal of a novice secretary navigating global perils.

Louise Penny's Background and Role

is a Canadian author acclaimed for her mystery series, which debuted with in 2005 and now comprises eighteen novels set in the fictional village of . The series emphasizes character-driven suspense, psychological depth, and meticulously constructed puzzles, drawing on Penny's background as a former producer and journalist before transitioning to fiction writing in her forties following personal challenges including recovery. Her works have sold more than 18 million copies worldwide, frequently topping bestseller lists and translated into over 30 languages. Penny has garnered extensive recognition in the mystery genre, securing nine Agatha Awards, five , two Arthur Ellis Awards, and additional honors such as the , , and Lefty Awards, underscoring her mastery of traditional elements within modern narrative frameworks. Unlike policy-oriented , her prioritizes interpersonal tensions and moral ambiguities resolved through logical deduction, often featuring ensemble teams that mirror real-world investigative collaboration. This expertise distinguishes her style, which favors subtle misdirection and emotional realism over . In co-authoring State of Terror, leveraged her mystery-writing proficiency to shape the novel's structure, infusing rapid pacing, layered twists, and relational conflicts that propel the plot beyond mere geopolitical exposition. Her input contrasted with the policy authenticity provided by her collaborator, ensuring the story adhered to genre expectations like red herrings and escalating cliffhangers while preserving causal coherence in sequences depicting and crisis response. 's handling of ensemble dynamics, honed through Gamache's departmental , informed the protagonist's reliance on a close-knit advisory for unraveling the terrorist , enhancing the narrative's procedural without sacrificing .

Collaboration Process

The collaboration on State of Terror commenced with extended discussions to outline the core plot, characters, and structure, leveraging Clinton's expertise alongside Penny's mystery-writing proficiency. This initial phase transitioned into an iterative drafting method, where the authors exchanged manuscript versions remotely from their homes in , and , , amid the pandemic's restrictions on travel. Drafts began months prior to the November 2020 U.S. , allowing incorporation of contemporaneous geopolitical tensions without . Edits emphasized authenticity in diplomatic elements, such as phrasing from classified cables and realistic assessments of risks, drawn from Clinton's tenure as , while Penny streamlined prose for narrative tension and avoided melodramatic flourishes. Virtual sessions supplemented occasional in-person meetings, with precautions like underscoring adaptations. Challenges included synchronizing Clinton's detail-oriented policy realism—rooted in causal analyses of —with Penny's drive for brisk pacing, resolved through repeated revisions that prioritized verifiable threat dynamics over speculative twists. The manuscript reached completion by early 2021, enabling a announcement on and on 12. The resultant hybrid integrated Clinton's empirically grounded insights into terrorist networks and deterrence failures with Penny's suspense mechanics, yielding resolutions aligned with observable patterns rather than contrivances.

Publication and Commercial Performance

Release Details

State of Terror was released on , by and . An edition for the and other international markets followed on October 9, 2021, published by Pan Macmillan. The novel appeared in multiple formats, including hardcover, e-book, and audiobook. The audiobook version, produced by Simon & Schuster Audio, featured narration by actress Joan Allen. Promotional activities centered on high-profile media engagements, including a joint interview with Clinton and Penny on ABC's Good Morning America shortly before launch. The release timing, post-2020 U.S. election and amid ongoing geopolitical instability, positioned the book to highlight insider perspectives on diplomatic crises and nuclear risks.

Sales and Bestseller Status

State of Terror debuted at number one on the New York Times combined print and e-book fiction bestseller list on October 31, 2021, as well as the hardcover fiction list. It spent nine weeks on the New York Times fiction bestseller list overall. The novel also reached number one on the USA Today and Globe and Mail bestseller lists. Commercial success stemmed from pre-release buzz fueled by Hillary Rodham Clinton's political prominence and Louise Penny's established readership in the mystery genre, where her prior Gamache series novels have collectively sold millions of copies worldwide. This crossover appeal generated strong pre-orders and initial sales velocity amid competition in the category. The book achieved international distribution, with editions in markets including the and , benefiting from Clinton's global name recognition. Penny's works, including this collaboration, align with her broader translated into over 30 languages, supporting foreign rights sales. Through 2025, State of Terror maintains availability as a backlist title via major retailers, reflecting ongoing demand for politically themed fiction despite the absence of recent promotional pushes.

Plot and Structure

High-Level Synopsis

State of Terror is a novel that centers on Ellen Adams, the newly appointed under Doug Williams, who confronts a series of coordinated bomb attacks beginning in . These incidents rapidly escalate into direct threats against American interests, prompting Adams to form an informal team of trusted advisors to investigate and counter the emerging crisis. The narrative builds tension through a high-stakes race against time, highlighting systemic intelligence shortcomings and the imperative for swift, unconventional countermeasures amid potential infiltration by domestic traitors and hostile foreign actors. The story's structure employs a multi-perspective approach, shifting between key figures to weave diplomatic maneuvering in with on-the-ground operational pursuits across international locales. This alternation sustains a relentless pacing marked by procedural and mounting , avoiding prolonged exposition in favor of iterative revelations and cliffhangers that propel the plot forward. The thriller culminates in tense international summits where geopolitical alliances are tested, underscoring the fragility of global security frameworks. Spanning 512 pages, the blends genre conventions of and with detailed depictions of bureaucratic and fieldwork dynamics, prioritizing plot momentum over deep character introspection to maintain its diplomatic momentum.

Key Narrative Elements

The narrative structure of State of Terror employs a fast-paced, chapter-driven format that simulates the compressed timelines of international crises, with escalating incidents prompting sequential investigative and diplomatic responses. This approach mirrors real-world crisis protocols, drawing on the co-author's firsthand governmental experience to depict processes under uncertainty, where initial ambiguities give way to targeted inquiries based on emerging . Foreshadowing is integrated through subtle indicators of vulnerability, such as overlooked diplomatic signals and anomalous intelligence reports, which establish causal links to later developments without relying on improbable coincidences. Technological elements, including and channels, are portrayed with attention to operational constraints, such as delays in verification and risks of , underscoring the reliance on human interpretation amid imperfect data streams. coordination across agencies highlights plausible limitations, where satellite-derived and encrypted exchanges inform but do not resolve threats unilaterally, emphasizing iterative assessment over instant technological fixes. These components contribute to a causality rooted in empirical deduction, as protagonists piece together patterns from fragmented inputs to anticipate adversary moves. In the buildup to resolutions, revelations of involvement emerge through methodical unraveling of alliances, revealing layers of that tie personal motives to broader geopolitical strategies. The narrative prioritizes deterrence via strategic positioning and alliance-building over direct confrontation, aligning outcomes with logical extensions of prior actions rather than external interventions. This eschews resolutions, favoring a chain of consequences where early oversights compound into high-stakes maneuvers, resolved through collective expertise and foresight.

Themes and Analysis

Terrorism, Nuclear Threats, and Foreign Policy Realism

The novel depicts a terrorist campaign beginning with coordinated conventional bombings on buses in European capitals including London, Paris, and Frankfurt, which serve as precursors to a more devastating plot involving three nuclear devices smuggled into major United States cities. These devices, constructed with fissile material sourced through criminal networks like the Russian mafia and enabled by lapses in international safeguards, underscore proliferation risks where non-state actors acquire weapons-grade material from unstable or adversarial regimes. The narrative escalates through intelligence failures and betrayals, highlighting how porous borders and inadequate verification mechanisms—mirroring debates over nuclear non-proliferation treaties—could enable such threats to materialize rapidly. This portrayal aligns with empirical concerns over dirty bombs and raised in strategies, where the focus shifted from immediate operations to long-term risks of material diversion from state programs. Specifically, the novel's emphasis on trafficking echoes fears tied to Iran's nuclear activities between 2015 and 2018, during which the (JCPOA) aimed to curb enrichment but faced criticism for insufficient inspections and Iran's concurrent support for proxy militias capable of weaponizing acquired materials. United States intelligence assessments during this period documented Iran's violations of enrichment limits and its designation as a state sponsor of since 1984, providing funding, training, and logistics to groups like that could facilitate asymmetric attacks. Critics of the JCPOA, including analyses from the period, argued that diplomatic optimism overlooked causal incentives for states to retain capabilities, potentially enabling covert transfers to terrorists rather than direct state use. In contrast to narratives fixating on lone-wolf actors, State of Terror prioritizes -sponsored networks and operations as the primary vectors for , reflecting a realist assessment that deterrence hinges on projecting credible resolve rather than perpetual multilateral negotiations. The plot's international conspiracy, implicating elements from , , and alongside Russian intermediaries, critiques alliances like where collective defense falters without dominant U.S. commitment to enforce red lines. This echoes vulnerabilities exposed in real incidents, such as the September 14, 2019, and strikes on Saudi Arabia's and Khurais facilities, which U.S. officials attributed to Iran-backed Houthi proxies but evidenced coordinated , temporarily disrupting 5.7 million barrels per day of oil supply and testing allied deterrence without decisive retaliation. Such events demonstrate how exploits perceived U.S. hesitancy, undermining extended deterrence in alliances by eroding the perception of inevitable consequences, a dynamic the dramatizes through frantic diplomatic shuttling that yields to unilateral only under duress. Empirical data from databases indicate that -enabled plots, comprising over 60% of foiled nuclear-related incidents since , succeed more frequently when sponsors perceive low risks of isolation or military response.

Gender Dynamics and Washington Power Structures

In State of Terror, the protagonist Ellen Adams, appointed by her longtime friend the U.S. president, confronts subtle and overt within 's entrenched power structures. Male colleagues and antagonists deliver condescending jabs, such as the Secretary of Defense's remark questioning her attire upon her delayed arrival to a meeting, underscoring a dismissive attitude toward her appearance amid crisis demands. Political foes and media pundits of both s mock her "plane-hair" and creased pantsuits, evoking real-world scrutiny of women's professional presentation in high office. All primary antagonists are male, mirroring the historical male dominance in American circles and highlighting interpersonal power plays where gender amplifies skepticism toward female authority. Adams counters these dynamics through competence rather than confrontation, leveraging skills like empathetic listening and to unravel terrorist plots and betrayals that evade more bombastic male strategies. Her effectiveness in coordinating across agencies and international allies during nuclear demonstrates pragmatic , where decisions prioritize evidence and alliances over posturing. This ascent reflects causal mechanisms of merit-based advancement in crises, as Adams' prior private-sector success and personal rapport with the president enable her to bypass initial doubts, though leaks and rivalries persist as standard bureaucratic hazards. The narrative's treatment of avoids portraying barriers as insurmountable, emphasizing amid infighting that transcends —ego-driven leaks and inter-agency turf wars occur irrespective of the actors involved, akin to documented D.C. norms under administrations of varying compositions. Reviewers commend this for realistically affirming women's in existential threats without excusing , yet the on one woman's triumphs via steely resolve invites of the "tough female leader" , potentially glossing collective institutional frictions in favor of heroic . Such elements draw from co-author Hillary Clinton's tenure, where empirical records show navigation of similar through acumen, though mainstream critiques often amplify personal narratives over structural data.

Ideological Underpinnings and Critiques

The novel's ideological framework draws from a tradition of interventionist foreign policy associated with the Clinton administration, portraying nuclear terrorism as an existential threat requiring swift, multilateral diplomatic coordination and intelligence operations among Western allies. This reflects a hawkish emphasis on maintaining U.S. global leadership to counter non-state actors, with the protagonist Secretary of State Ellen Adams navigating crises through elite networks rather than unilateral military action. The narrative implicitly critiques prior "delusional" Republican governance for retreating from international commitments, echoing concerns over "America First" policies that allegedly diminished American influence and emboldened adversaries. Critics from conservative perspectives contend that this approach over-relies on insiders and diplomatic maneuvering while downplaying domestic security measures, such as fortified borders and robust internal deterrence, which empirical data links to preventing terrorist infiltration—U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported over 170 apprehensions of individuals on the terrorist watchlist at the southern border in 2021 alone. The book's aversion to overlooks documented shortcomings of extended U.S. interventions, including the 2011 operation, where NATO-led —championed by then-Secretary —toppled Gaddafi but fostered a enabling extremist groups like to gain footholds, as evidenced by subsequent UN assessments of widespread instability and arms proliferation. Such engagements, costing billions and yielding minimal strategic gains, underscore causal disconnects between interventionist optimism and on-the-ground outcomes, including the that killed four Americans amid post-intervention chaos. Further scrutiny highlights the narrative's use of generic "extremism" to frame threats, sidestepping deeper causal analysis of ideological drivers like radical Islamist doctrines that have motivated groups responsible for 80% of terrorism deaths globally from 2000 to 2019, per the Global Terrorism Database. This vagueness aligns with institutional tendencies to generalize adversaries, potentially minimizing the role of jihadist networks in nuclear proliferation risks, as seen in real-world Iranian and Pakistani programs. From the left, Jacobin magazine faulted the work for embodying status-quo Clintonism, arguing its fixation on elite intrigue and Trump-era echoes yields little political thrill, mirroring Democratic electoral disconnects by prioritizing insider threats over structural issues like economic inequality or climate vulnerabilities. These critiques reveal a broader tension: while advocating vigilance against foreign perils, the novel reinforces interventionist assumptions amid evidence favoring restrained, deterrence-focused strategies.

Reception and Criticism

Positive Reviews and Achievements

critic praised State of Terror as an "exciting and provocative read," highlighting its plot-driven intensity in a classic race against time to thwart international terrorists and domestic betrayals, evoking Graham Greene's style of entertainment. Review aggregators like Book Marks assigned it a positive rating based on multiple professional critiques, with outlets commending its turbocharged pace and status as a standout that delivers what readers expect from the genre without pandering. The novel garnered acclaim for blending Penny's mystery-honed suspense with Clinton's firsthand diplomatic insights, creating authentic depictions of high-stakes maneuvers and intrigue that felt like "eavesdropping" on real events. Critics such as Lou Berney noted the "turn-the-page pacing" and political savvy that made it a "surefire hit," while emphasized its insider authenticity. This fusion elevated the by grounding speculative nuclear threats in plausible realism, serving as a on escalation risks without veering into . Reader feedback underscored strengths in character development and twists, contributing to a average rating of 4.09 out of 5 from 83,370 ratings as of recent tallies. The collaboration demonstrated effective genre-crossing, with reviewers like lauding its "galloping pace" and tantalizing glimpses into statecraft, affirming its role in refreshing the form through verifiable expertise rather than fabrication.

Negative Critiques and Shortcomings

Critics have faulted "State of Terror" for functioning more as a procedural account of diplomatic maneuvering than a pulse-pounding thriller, with extended discussions of policy and bureaucracy diluting narrative momentum and rendering the story slow-moving. The book's emphasis on Washington insider dynamics and ethical trade-offs, while informed by Clinton's experience, prioritizes exposition over escalating tension, appealing primarily to political aficionados rather than broad suspense enthusiasts. Plot elements have drawn complaints of implausibility, including a cascade of coincidences—such as anonymous tips averting disasters and the protagonist's family inserting themselves into high-risk operations—that border on fantasy and erode credibility. Reviewers noted that these contrived turns, like a global orchestrated amid by non-professionals, fail to generate authentic stakes, transforming potential thrills into predictable resolutions. Ideologically, the narrative has been critiqued for a narrow fixation on far-right infiltration and Trump-era dysfunction as existential threats, sidelining other perils like climate disruption or institutional inertia in favor of a partisan lens that mirrors the authors' preoccupations. This approach, per left-leaning analysis, underscores an elitist Clintonite outlook that obsesses over symbolic right-wing villains while evading scrutiny of Democratic policy shortcomings, rendering the worldview more propagandistic than probing. Right-leaning observers have similarly highlighted the book's thinly veiled score-settling against conservative figures through caricatured incompetence, portraying threats in a manner that absolves failures and promotes interventionist realism uncritically. The itself faced as a promotional exercise, with detractors arguing that Clinton's celebrity overshadowed literary merit, allowing fiction to serve as a "bulletproof shield" for narrative self-justification rather than rigorous storytelling. Such views posit that the result prioritizes rehabilitation of the co-author's image over substantive innovation, yielding novelty without depth.

Public and Political Reactions

The release of State of Terror on October 12, 2021, elicited polarized public responses, largely divided along partisan lines. Among Clinton supporters and readers, the novel was celebrated for its portrayal of competent female in and its cautionary depiction of risks, with co-author emphasizing in interviews that it served as a "warning" drawn from real diplomatic experiences. Commercial success underscored this enthusiasm, as the book debuted at on the New York Times bestseller list and dominated sales charts through late October 2021, reflecting strong demand from audiences interested in political thrillers. Skeptics, including some literary commentators and conservative-leaning voices, derided it as a promotional for Clinton's post-political brand, questioning its authenticity amid perceptions of insider self-aggrandizement and thinly veiled critiques of the prior administration. Online discourse spiked on platforms like and following the launch, with debates centering on the novel's plausibility—pitting fictional escalations against contemporaneous real-world events such as the U.S. withdrawal from in August 2021—though empirical data on engagement metrics remained anecdotal rather than quantified in major reports. Politically, Democratic-leaning media and figures amplified themes of institutional fragility and barriers in , as seen in 's analysis of the book's portrayal of "dark " and entrenched within U.S. power structures. In contrast, conservative responses framed the ex-president character—depicted as erratic and isolationist—as a partisan caricature of , fueling dismissals of the work as ideological fiction rather than neutral entertainment, though formal endorsements or condemnations from leaders were absent. Broader discussions in outlets like touched on fiction's potential to signal policy priorities, with linking the plot's threats to ongoing global instabilities without endorsing alarmism.

Adaptations and Legacy

Film Rights Acquisition

In February 2022, Madison Wells Media, the production company founded by , acquired the film rights to State of Terror for development as a adaptation. The deal involved executive production by and through their HiddenLight Productions banner, alongside , aiming to bring the novel's geopolitical thriller elements to the screen. As of October 2025, the project remains in early development stages, with no announcements of scripting completion, casting, or production timelines. Initial reports emphasized Madison Wells' intent to develop the adaptation, but subsequent updates have been absent, reflecting common delays in rights acquisitions for politically themed properties. This stasis aligns with broader industry patterns where novel adaptations, particularly those involving high-profile non-fiction authors like , often stall amid script revisions and financing hurdles. Adapting State of Terror's emphasis on diplomatic and brinkmanship poses inherent challenges, as cinematic demands for visual action may overshadow the book's subtle causal chains of decision-making. While the acquisition offers potential for amplifying the novel's empirically grounded critiques of international threats—drawing from Clinton's State Department experience—the risk persists that studio priorities could dilute these elements into simplified spectacle, a pattern evident in prior geopolitical thrillers where source fidelity yields to commercial pacing. Nonetheless, involvement of the authors as producers provides a structural safeguard against excessive of the material's unvarnished .

Broader Cultural Impact

State of Terror has influenced discussions on the fusion of autobiographical elements with , as co-author drew from her tenure as to infuse realism into the thriller format, prompting media commentary on how such hybrids can educate readers on diplomatic intricacies without overt . This approach achieved accessibility by rendering complex topics like and deterrence engaging, yet it faced criticism for prioritizing elite insider perspectives over examinations of interventionist policies' long-term failures, such as protracted conflicts stemming from inadequate strategies. The novel's depiction of a female protagonist leading responses to and risks highlighted dynamics in policymaking, with reviewers observing its portrayal of misogynistic undercurrents in power structures as reflective of real barriers women face in roles. However, these elements did not catalyze broader shifts in , as evidenced by the absence of sustained or debates tying the book to evolving views on women's in deterrence strategies. By 2025, amid continued instability involving conflicts and proliferation risks, the book's cautionary emphasis on vigilance against non-state maintains contextual pertinence, though it has elicited no notable revivals or expanded cultural engagements. Critiques persist that it entrenches interventionist alarmism—focusing on averted catastrophes—while sidelining grassroots critiques of elite-driven paradigms, potentially reinforcing institutional biases in .

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