For over four decades the Palestinian National Movement has been embodied by the institutions and leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the internationally recognized “sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.” Yet, since 1994 the PLO has existed in name only, which begs the question: who represents the Palestinian people? Drawing on English and Arabic archival and secondary sources, this paper will examine the history of the PLO with a particular focus on its bureaucratic institutions. I argue that the institutions developed by the PLO were suited for a national liberation movement within the context of the Cold War. As such, their organizational structure and by-laws were deliberately designed to limit broad-based representation until victory was achieved. In the absence of victory, I contend, the same institutional structures have been used to hinder potential reforms and have served to further distance the Palestinian leadership from the population it purports to represent. Moreover, I assert that in the United States, the relationship between official and semi-official organizations associated with the PLO and grassroots Palestinian groups reflects this dynamic.