There is a substantial amount of writing from the founding era, about the dangers of political parties. "Nothing new under the sun."
The parties represent "authorized dissent," so the electorate and the people can be fooled into believing they have significant control over the direction of public policy. But direction of public policy allowed to be influence by the public is, at the end of the day, insignificant. The public is allowed to argue about (and choose) the color of the paint, the elites control every other aspect of the vehicle.
The people tolerate it because of bread and circuses and all the human nature things. We are vain and self-centered beings, ripe for the picking by people who have steely-eyed determination to rule, and ability to mislead the audience.
Wow, you have summarized and expressed it really well, Cboldt. Thanks.