Self-rule pretends to exist, because people vote.  People might get the candidates for whom they voted, although we know that that was not the case in the past two national elections.  It is easy for big city machines to steal the vote as was proved in Biden's "election" and the last Arizona "election" for governor.

Even if the elections are fair and the candidates who win are declared winners, it doesn't mean that the people are represented.  The reason is that the representative, senator, governor, and president elected knows that his success depended on large campaign contributors, such as pharmaceutical companies, the military-security complex, energy, mining, and timber corporations, agribusiness, real estate developers, etc.  Unless a candidate is a billionaire, it is impossible for him to run unless he has large contributors intent on having their interests served.

This means that the interests of large campaign contributors come first.  They are the ones who originate bills and control the outcomes with lobbying.  We also know that every regulatory agency is captured by the group that is being regulated.  For example, the Covid protocols and "vaccine" mandates proved that the NIH, CDC, and FDA are marketing agents for Big Pharma, not protecters of the public's health.  Why do you think that America alone is always at war?  It is because of profits for the armaments corporations.  Washington has institutionalized three formidable enemies–Russia, China, and Iran–and that guarantees the budget and power of the military/security complex.