IMHO, the US has arrived at Central Planning via capitalism. The policy of sectors like Defense, Energy, Communications, and Corrections are led by corporations rather than the will of the public. These industries are not efficient, and they are not very market-driven. We have more prisoners than any other country in the world in part because we have an private prison industry that writes legislation that increases the incarceration rate. Due to Citizen's United, the contributions of these entities are unlimited, whereas the public's contributions are limited to $2500 per person. The US is simply not a democracy. It has elements of one, but it is not one. The ironic thing to me is, that so called 'conservatives' continue choose corporate power over government power. The government answers to voters. Corporations answer to stock-holders. The GOP sells disenfranchisement by giving public influence to entrenched corporate influence, and people buy it somehow believing that a free-market is at work.
Honestly, there are a lot of problems with our country, but there is not one issue that would go so far to ameliorate so many than campaign finance reform. Somehow we have to restrict the flow of large sums of money from special interest lobbyists, corporations, and unions. Money talks. You pay our leaders and they do what you want them to. Anybody who thInks otherwise is living on another planet. Votor's wishes will get ignored over massive campaign coffer injections the majority of the time.
It's so very weak that people in a democracy can be made to believe that government is the problem. IT'S YOUR GOVERNMENT. Now we are giving our government away. Socialism for corporations. That's what we've got.