Excerpt:

There are two main political parties; between them they win virtually every election. The differences between them appear great. Billions are spent on elections; the internet and media are filled with political disclosure, debate, and vitriol; each side detests the other. Yet, whichever party controls the government, essential outcomes remain the same. The government gets bigger, more intrusive, more indebted, and continuously sticks its nose in other nations’ affairs. What if the elections to the the legislature and presidency are a charade? What if a more permanent coterie, rather than temporarily elected officials and their appointees, really runs things? Sure, the people and the media get their elections and have their partisan fun, but perhaps the real decisions are made by a behind-the-scenes crew whose names never appear on a ballot.