How do we fix that? Perhaps it can't be done democratically, and you just need someone to come into a high position of power who is willing to be dramatic and disruptive?
In general, it's a lot of work, it's all in the details, and it takes forever. So lots of folks will fall back on the "why not just give the small dictator(s) all the power?"
To fix it, you need collective action. And now you have a collective action problem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_action_problem