[pizza]

I mean, this isn't by accident. Powerful people can advocate for their interests to change laws. It's the market ad extremum. It's only government inefficiency in the sense that lawmakers are vulnerable to influence, rather than bureaucrats imposing centrally planned government programs.

[scotpb]

In a democracy the many have the upper hand, if they get involved. Blaming the few at the top seems to be a easy device frequently used today.

[__jal]

It appears you are unfamiliar with public choice theory[1]. It turns out you are correct in a theoretic sense that very rarely works out in practice. Blaming 'the many' for failing democracy might be satisfying, but doesn't do any good.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_choice

[davidf18]

The issue is that special interests have a much more focused need for the laws (or may have more money for lobbying or "buying" politicians).

There are import tariffs on sugar that benefits sugar producers while "harming" society (and other countries that want to import sugar).

[pizza]

Plutocracies work differently.

[damnfinecoffee]

America is not a democracy