The most powerful political officers are the most publicly visible and well-known.

At least that’s how it supposed to be. Somethings, of course, things don’t end up that way.

Louis Jacobson of Governing Magazine did a great breakdown of those offices that, while obscure, are incredibly influential.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board made his list.

“Dating back to 1933, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is one of a handful of state bodies that actively sells alcoholic beverages,” Jacobson wrote. “In Pennsylvania’s case, that means more than $2 billion in annual sales at roughly 600 brick-and-mortar stores and an online portal – a large commercial enterprise by any standard.”

“The board consists of three gubernatorial-appointed and state Senate-confirmed members,” he concluded. “Over the years, intensive lobbying efforts have been made to privatize liquor sales, but none has succeeded so far.”

Those privatization efforts continue to this day and are a major factor in the months-long budget stalemate.