Its not an issue of motivation, but one of competing goals and interest groups creating deadlock. Just considering goals, you have listed a lot of (very good)

Its not an issue of motivation, but one of competing goals and interest groups creating deadlock. Just considering goals, you have listed a lot of (very good) ideas for improvement. But everyone from voter up to politician is going to have their own pet ideas they want to do first and spend the most money on. Everyone gets to arguing and nothing gets done. Not to mention the many interest groups with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. Public sector unions represent nearly half of union members nowadays and are very resistant to change. Education reform and police reform are often blocked or made politically unviable by their respective unions. Healthcare reform in a way that would benefit all including young people is overpowered by large groups like the AARP. These groups all have a created interest in maintaining their power and increasing the benefits paid to their members. A politician, however idealistic, usually just ends up running into a wall and giving up.