I think you're longing for a US that never was. Its always been about who has "the right power" and who doesnt. Everything from Mccarthyism to the Salem Witch Hunt.

it also stands to be said that America doesnt exist as America, instead as a revolving door of loosely defined groups that step up to the levers of power and try their luck.

Its best to understand the actors instead of the machine. Its most often where the problem is.