politicians aren't the only problem.
take fishing. for thousands of years it took 5 or 6 people to run a small fishing boat, and that boat could take enough fish to feed the crewmen and the owner, plus pay them a small amount so they could buy the other things they needed.
over the last 100 years, we've been "improving" "streamlining" modernizing" things, so that now, it only takes 3 guys to run the same boat. and that boat can now take 5 times what the crew needs to eat. the owner makes more money, and pays his workers more, but he has less of them to pay. so what happened to those other 3 or 4 guys he doesn't need anymore?possibly some of them went to work in the cannery needed to keep the extra fish from spoiling so it can still be sold. possibly some moved and went into other professions. possibly some gave up after the only way of life they've ever known was destroyed in the name of progress, and are now the guy sleeping behind the dumpster behind your building.
and this is happening in all industries. progress comes with a price. the price of not destroying the culture you're trying to improve. we don't just need political reform, we need societal reform. you can get rid of the wolves, and if all that leaves is a herd of sheep, thats just inviting more wolves. you need to wake the fucking sheep up. sorry i don't have a good suggestion as to how to do that, if i had a decent idea, i'd already be trying it