Looking back they were probably just overworked and exhausted, but man.
People blame bureaucracy, and maybe there’s some truth there, but if these people were treated half as well as many tech workers are then maybe we could actually start making progress against the stereotype of miserable experiences.
Nobody who has drive and wants to get shit done lasts very long in that environment. There are occasional pockets of "good" but they don't last because when they accomplish too much people move up and out or they get reigned in by the rest of the system.
Source: members of my household work in government providing social services.
Better known by the people who actually work there as, "Shoving a bunch of people and papers around to show you're changing things, with no plan, strategy, or even background information to support a single thing."
If you think alternating parties solves the problems, you have another think coming your way!