It seems easier to bankroll museums and concert halls (especially when Carnegie lived) than change the kind of legislation that gets passed. This article is more about the second impact.
The reconstructed Globe Theatre in London ran into a problem while it was being designed: thatched roofs had been illegal for hundreds of years. So, they had to go through the process of certifying a fire suppression system, getting everything approved, and then demonstrating that it was safe before opening.
Sam Wanamaker was the person who persisted and cut checks--even in the face of LOTS of government resistance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Wanamaker