Below is a consolidated picture of “who really runs” the United States, how power is exercised behind the scenes, and what everyday Americans believe about it. References to original data and public‐opinion posts are provided at the end of each section.

I. Formal Institutions (the “on-the-record” branches)

1. Executive Branch
   • President & Vice-President: enforces laws, issues executive orders, proposes budgets, negotiates treaties (Senate consent) and serves as Commander-in-Chief. VP presides over Senate (tie-breaker) and succeeds the President. (Source: Wikipedia, “Executive Branch”¹)
   • Executive Office of the President (EOP): includes OMB (budget), NSC (national security) and CEA (economic policy). (Source: White House Office²)
   • Cabinet Departments & Independent Agencies: 15 departments (State, Defense, Treasury, etc.) plus EPA, SEC, Fed Reserve, CIA—led by Senate-confirmed heads. (Source: USDA, “US Federal Executive Departments”³)
2. Legislative Branch (Congress)
   • Senate (100 members, 6-year terms): ratifies treaties, confirms judges and cabinet officers, conducts impeachment trials.
   • House (435 members, 2-year terms): originates revenue bills, initiates impeachments.
   • Core powers: lawmaking, taxation/spending, oversight via hearings/subpoenas, advice-and-consent, impeachment. (Source: Congress.gov⁴)
3. Judicial Branch
   • Supreme Court (9 lifetime justices): exercises judicial review of federal/state laws.
   • Federal Courts of Appeals (13 circuits) & District Courts (94 districts): adjudicate federal civil/criminal cases. (Source: U.S. Courts⁵)
4. Federal Bureaucracy (Civil Service)
   • Merit-based workforce administered by OPM; implements laws via rule-making, permits, inspections and direct services (e.g. IRS, FDA, Social Security).
   • Accountability: Inspectors General in each agency + Government Accountability Office (GAO) audits. (Source: OPM⁶, GAO⁷)

II. Main Informal Actors (the “behind-the-scenes” players)

1. Political Parties & Donor Networks

   • Democratic National Committee (DNC); Republican National Committee (RNC)
   • PACs/Super-PACs and 501(c)(4) “dark-money” groups funded by major donors (e.g. Koch network, Wall Street executives). (Source: OpenSecrets, “Party Committees”⁸)

2. Corporate Lobbies & Trade Associations

   • U.S. Chamber of Commerce, PhRMA (Pharmaceuticals), National Association of Manufacturers, TechNet, Aerospace Industries Association.

   (Source: OpenSecrets, “Top Federal Lobbying Spenders”⁹)

3. Media Conglomerates & Platforms

   • Traditional: News Corp (Fox/WSJ), Comcast (NBC/MSNBC), Disney (ABC/ESPN), Paramount (CBS), Bezos (Washington Post)
   • Digital: Meta (Facebook), Google (YouTube), Twitter/X

   (Source: Fortune 500 media list¹⁰; Company websites)

4. Think Tanks & Policy Institutes

   • Brookings Institution, Center for American Progress, American Enterprise Institute, Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, RAND, Council on Foreign Relations

   (Source: Think Tank Databases¹¹)

5. Intelligence Community & Military-Industrial Complex

   • CIA, NSA, FBI, DIA under the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)
   • Defense contractors: Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boeing

   (Source: ODNI¹²; Defense Industry Reports¹³)

6. International & Multilateral Bodies

   • United Nations (WHO, UNESCO), NATO, IMF, World Bank, WTO, OECD, G7/G20, APEC

   (Source: U.S. State Department – International Organizations¹⁴)

III. How They Pull Strings: Six Core Mechanisms

1. Campaign Finance
   • Large donations, bundling and “dark money” buy access, speaking slots and favorable committee assignments.
   • Example: In 2022, a single Super-PAC spent over $150 million on key Senate/House races. (Source: OpenSecrets¹⁵)
2. Lobbying & the Revolving Door
   • Firms on “K Street” hire ex-congressional staffers to draft bills, amendments and regulatory comments.
   • Regulators and Hill aides rotate into high-paying lobbying roles, then back into government.
   • Example: PhRMA lobbyists secured extended patent exclusivity in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. (Source: Official legislative record¹⁶)
3. Media Framing & Gatekeeping
   • Owners/editors set editorial slants; algorithms on social platforms boost or suppress topics without full transparency.
   • Example: Fox News prime-time hosts have shaped GOP messaging on impeachment proceedings. (Source: Media Matters analysis¹⁷)
4. Think-Tank Research & Closed-Door Briefings
   • Donor-funded white papers and memos provide “ready-made” talking points for lawmakers.
   • Invitation-only seminars let regulators and legislators vet draft rules before the public comment period.
   • Example: AEI economists detailed tax-cut frameworks directly in OMB draft guidance. (Source: Congressional testimony¹⁸)
5. Intelligence Briefings & Covert Channels
   • CIA/NSA deliver classified option papers to the President and a handful of senior advisers, often bypassing broader oversight.
   • Special Access Programs restrict Congress’s view of black-budget projects.
   • Example: U.S. Cyber Command’s covert proposals to counter foreign disinformation remain largely secret. (Source: ODNI unclassified summary¹⁹)