Inverted totalitarianism

Inverted totalitarianism doesn't require a dictator or a single-party state. Rather, it operates through the integration of economic with political power to control the levers of government. The system allows a culture of limited individualism (within allowed boundaries) and promotes consumerism over collective political action through democratic processes. 

This system thrives on the undue influence of corporations, financial institutions, the censorship-industrial complex, and the military-industrial complex while maintaining the facade of a democratic process. Corporations and wealthy elites influence policy through lobbying, campaign finance, and the revolving doors between business and government. This all works to ensure policies that favor corporate economic interests over public interest. The apathetic public is placated into compliance through consumerism, media control, censorship, propaganda, and a political system that offers limited choice within a very controlled spectrum of political thought. Although elections continue, they are constrained to the range of acceptable candidates and solutions, which are limited to those that corporate-controlled communications media supports and pre-selects through processes that are only partially transparent. The range of allowed public discourse is actively controlled. The result is that the final candidates in significant elections do not threaten corporatist control of government, and legislative actions are massaged to produce bills favorable to the economic interests that control the State.  This leads to people feeling perpetually powerless, resulting in widespread political disengagement or a sense of political despair.