How best can we affect our governments??

Voting works. But you need to understand politics and become public voting blocks to use democracy. So, it's totally impossible in the USA! You're very context free, living in a reality based in lies. You're unable to use politics.
Where you live, you're the good guys, inequality is a profitable facet of your empire and war is a racket you've legalized. Carry on - whatever! Red is blue! Seven are five! Nine is a rose.