We long ago stopped having a federal government with the best interests of the United States uppermost in their collective minds. For too long, we have been saddled with a political elite (Senate and House) and a vast, bloated make-work bureaucracy which believes it's major priority is to regulate and control every American citizen. Once respected agencies like the FBI and CIA are mostly interested in their own agendas and protecting their turf, and can no longer be relied on by our citizens. Adept at accumulating power and increasing their own personal fortunes, pay and perks, they give only lip service to such quaint notions as duty, honor and country; in certain quarters, "patriot" is a dirty word and one which engenders suspicion. They are convinced we work for them rather than the other way around.
To see how far this great nation has fallen, all one need do is look at the three "leading" presidential candidates, a sorry collection of losers unfit to hold any federal office of importance.
We need a complete and total changeout and house cleaning in Washington and, until that is accomplished, we're only going to see the present situation deteriorate further.