Democratic politics, driven by the charismatic appeal of individuals "(populares)" to the Roman people "(populus)", potentially undermined the conservative principle of the "mos". Because the higher magistracies and priesthoods were originally the prerogative of the patricians, the efforts of plebeians "(the plebs)" for access could be cast as a threat to tradition (see Conflict of the Orders). Reform was accomplished by legislation, and written law replaced consensus. When plebeians gained admission to nearly all the highest offices, except for a few arcane priesthoods, the interests of plebeian families who ascended to the elite began to align with those of the patricians, creating Rome's "nobiles", an elite social status of nebulous definition during the Republic. The "plebs" and their support of popular politicians continued as a threat to the "mos" and elite consensus into the late Republic, as noted in the rhetoric of Cicero.