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In 1948, George Kennan authored "Inauguration of Organized Political Warfare," advocating for overt and covert actions, including psychological warfare, to further US national objectives. Kennan believed the public's preference for peace hindered these efforts. The memo followed the CIA's first election rigging in Italy, where $200 million was used to influence the outcome, involving media manipulation, funding of politicians, and collaboration with questionable entities.
NSC ten-two, also sponsored by Kennan, sanctioned a range of covert operations, legal if US government responsibility could be plausibly denied. This led to the CIA transforming into an organization that lies, requiring an "empire of lies" both abroad and at home. Congress attempted to check this with the Smith-Mundt Act, but it was later repealed.
Before 1948, the US had already expanded its influence through the Monroe Doctrine, Banana Wars, and the Spanish-American War. The FBI was created in 1908. Woodrow Wilson's promotion of democracy facilitated the use of covert actions without needing a national security threat. Post-1948, the CIA orchestrated coups in numerous countries. Scandals led to the Church Committee hearings and congressional oversight. After a brief rollback under Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan restructured the intelligence state in 1983, diffusing the CIA's influence into public-facing institutions like the National Endowment for Democracy. The intelligence state serves the State Department and Pentagon, with the CIA doing the "dirty work."