Frankly, the reality is often coming from the bureaucracy. We all chuckle about government absurdity, but many of the true experts in these areas are in these bureaucracies, and get silenced when their work conflicts with the narrative the political administration wants. As costs have grown in healthcare, public safety and other areas, other functions get starved of attention.
I will guarantee you that in all of these cases, people who know what they were talking about were advising about these issues or unable to do their jobs due to de-funding... especially when republicans have had their fingers in things.
We lost a lot when the postwar and 1960s generation aged out of the workforce. The folks in charge of government agencies in the 1960-2000 timeframe were better educated and more competent. The politicians, even the machine people, had a better fundamental respect for what government did and does.
I'll tell you from an anecdotal perspective that the people in my state who inspect dams and bridges give a shit about their jobs and are not complacent. I know a few people in each category. They have a frustrating job, but do it well.