An unaccountable concentration of political and private power is increasingly reshaping how America’s federal government operates, bending its political, legal, and economic systems away from the public good and toward private interests. Political scientists have a name for this: state capture, the systemic manipulation of public institutions by narrow interests for their own benefit.
What was once more commonly discussed as a danger in fragile democracies is now an urgent American concern. Recent developments suggest that this form of institutional seizure is no longer theoretical; it is taking hold here.
The warning signs are already visible. Among them has been President Donald Trump’s attempt to create a $1.776 billion Justice Department slush fund, reportedly abandoned only after intense legal and bipartisan political backlash. There have also been reported instances of conflicts of interest involving financial activity by government officials, as well as ongoing concerns of political pressure being applied to independent institutions. In parallel, efforts to strip inspectors general (IG) of their independence have undermined many of the federal agencies that rely on them for oversight and accountability.
Public confidence in institutions reflects these concerns. A recent Pew survey found that 68% of Americans—including a majority of voters from both parties—believe the United States has declined as a model of democracy in recent years.
That loss of confidence reflects a broader crisis of government, fueled by the increasingly held belief that corruption in our government is pervasive. A December 2025 Yale and George Mason survey similarly found concerns about corruption now rival or exceed concerns about inflation and the cost of living, even amid sustained economic pressure. Focus group research among white working-class voters in North Carolina captured a related sentiment more directly: that economic and political systems are perc
