This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.
Does the Safety Patrol in Fillmore count? They seem to have all the authority of an adult police force.
ralphmerridew: What about 23 Skidoo from Smithson? While not a Student Council, they do have disproportionate influence.
Scud East: The PTA stuff is kinda interesting, but does it really belong here? There's nothing strange about parents having influence over how a school is run: they're adults, and the school is answerable to them because it's taking care of their kids. Certainly it's not true of schools everywhere, but it's not absurd the way an Absurdly Powerful Student Council is.
Scud East: I think I understand now.
In Japan, and some places in the USA, teachers have to worry about upsetting the PTA by disciplining their students, even merely by sending a disruptive bully out of the room. This can place the individual students in an absurd position of power, knowing the teacher has no hold over them. It also makes the Absurdly Powerful Student Council more plausible. I'm still not sure whether it's an example of the trope, though. Can someone (who knows more than I do) edit it into more obvious relevance?
Haven: Moved the Real Life examples to Troper Tales.
Andrew Carlssin: We seem to have an awful lot of subversions. They should probably be gathered up and given their own countertrope.
