So here is a little more about this. I think they are working toward a season finale to show us some sort of conclusion or thought about the whole Illuminati/NWO situation. I think it's been going on the whole season and only this season.

Here is a breakdown of how I think the characters are being symbolized:

The Study Group represents the population at large. They are diverse, fight among each other but deeply care at the same time, are just trying to get through the "school" intact, are under the thumb of the Dean but find him ridiculous and mock him constantly,

The Dean represents the aspect of government that is genuine but naive, powerless, silly/petty, and sexually perturbed.

Chang represents the enforcement of government as the school's security guard and sometimes the POTUS.

The school has a Board, the supreme court.

Vice Dean is a cool character. I think this guy represents the secret power behind the apparent power. In other words, TPTB or the Illuminati. He is more powerful despite the "vice" and scares the Dean to his pitiful soul. His place of business is physically separated in the school's annex, but the annex is the real source of the school's income, alumni contribution, power in general. At first the Dean was cocky toward the Vice Dean but now that the Dean knows better he's scared shitless to even go near the school annex. Oh yeah, and the "students" of greater Greendale generally do not know about the nature of the HVAC school annex and it's power, though the Study Group does I think.