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In horse racing terminology, a 'trifecta' is a parimutuel bet in which the bettor must predict which horses will finish first, second, and third in exact order. The word comes from the related betting term, "perfecta". A trifecta is known as a Tierce in France and Hong Kong.

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Politics

Other uses

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Politics

The term has been extended to the realm of politics, where it is used to describe a situation in which an executive of government appoints another elected official to a position and is also allowed to appoint his successor. This process can be chained together; in other words, the executive can appoint an elected official to a position, appoint another elected official to the other's previous position, and finally appoint anyone to the second official's position. The first permutation of this chain is called a "quadfecta".
The trifecta system is seen by many as a loophole in democracy, because it allows an executive to essentially override a choice by the voters. This is mitigated by the fact that the system requires the agreement of all parties involved. Executives have been able to get around this by making the position offered a very financially lucrative or long-term one.

Other uses

"Trifecta" as a slang term to describe any successful or favorable phenomenon or characteristic that comes in threes, for example: "She has the 'trifecta' of attractiveness, intelligence, and career success."

See also

★ Hat-trick, succeeding at anything three times in three consecutive attempts