ABSTRACT
The politics of decrees and coups and the bureaucratic battles described in the previous chapters sharply increase the political importance of the nation’s security services. Whatever the validity of the various allegations against Trump and his staffers, the idea of the FBI as a “neutral referee” interested only in championing democratic values, seems just a bit far-fetched. The FBI has a long history of interference in American political processes and lack of regard for civil liberties. The power of America’s security agencies has increased as contending political forces have come to rely more and more on embarrassing revelations in their battles with one another. As the famous example of the mysterious Watergate-era informant “deep throat” (who turned out to be the deputy director of the FBI) suggests, the ability of the FBI and other agencies to provide such information gives them the power to make and break politicians–—and presidents.
