A good read.
Spaceman Spiff- I have no idea what is going on
Most of what we see, including apparent populism, is theatre. Decisions are typically made by elites. The rest is scenery and furniture to maintain the illusion of democratic controls.
When we think of elites we imagine wealthy powerful people, an aristocracy who constitute a ruling class. But the reality is more diffuse, with layers of people exerting control representing something closer to an elite hierarchy.
Every new law is backed by people angling to increase their control over your life. The smaller the law, the more pervasive the control.