the dead hand

the dead hand of (something)

The factor or influence of something that prohibits progress. Our children's education is being stymied by the dead hand of standardized testing.
See also: dead, hand, of
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

the dead hand

BRITISH
If you talk about the dead hand of someone or something, you mean that they have a very negative influence on a situation, for example by preventing change or progress. The dead hand of bureaucracy now lies heavily on the Space Quest Foundation. One crucial change is that the dead hand of the state looks like being removed from France Télécom.
See also: dead, hand
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
See also:
  • the dead hand of (something)
  • the dead hand of something
  • factor out
  • key to
  • key to (something)
  • factor
  • factor in
  • run into the sand
  • at first hand
  • God-given right
References in classic literature
"She came, O King, because the dead hand of Baleka summoned her, as thou sawest.
As the dead hand relaxed its grasp upon Tara's wrist the girl leaped forward, without a backward glance, to Gahan's side.
"By the dead hands at my throat but he shall die, Bar Comas.
You are withering away like the dead hands that wove you.
The danger is that a handful of Tory Remainers will maintain a narrow paranoid view and scupper the efforts of our new Prime Minister as they did the last one, leaving us forever under the dead hand of Brussels.
CalMac are really not to blame for this, either - this problem has the dead hand of politics written all over it.
Next, hand the future of education in Wales over to the best of our superb heads and teachers - they know what succeeds and should be allowed to bring the best out of our children without the interference of the dead hand of the Welsh Labour Government.
Marlott comes across a corpse, made up from the human remains of eight missing children, and when he goes to reach for its hand, the dead hand grabs him back.
For her to contradict Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt when he admitted the law is not right is the dead hand of Downing Street creating unnecessary mayhem.
Hoffman, The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and Its Dangerous Legacy, Anchor Books, New York, 2009, ISBN-13: 978-0-307-38784-4
There is an immediate and increasing need for traders and employees to be free to go about their business, released from the dead hand of directives written by our European competitors.
The dead hand of government conservation bodies now poses the biggest threat to coastal communities in the 21st century.
Comedian Amy Schumer wrote and stars in Trainwreck but her charm can't overcome her own limited script or the dead hand of director Judd Apatow.
This was the effect of the dead hand of nationalisation on our railway system and it is only a matter of luck that the lines surrounding Harbury survived to become the success they are today.
The country needs a complete break from the dead hand of the two party system that stifles change, snuffing good will to all.