House of Cards did a good job of showing just a handful of the ways that favors are traded (or power subtly asserted) between the intelligence agencies and poli

House of Cards did a good job of showing just a handful of the ways that favors are traded (or power subtly asserted) between the intelligence agencies and politicians. The founding fathers understood this risk and went to great lengths to ensure separation of powers, but the vast majority of 3 letter agencies did not exist back then and thus exist outside of the well-designed structure.