"If the powers that be don't want the boat to rock, it simply will not rock. "
Hear me out, it's not so much the powers, it's the people. If you poll people, they might say they want all this information and government reform.
But if you try to give them even 1 bit of hardship to accomplish this, then will not and it is easily forgotten.
This to me makes a lot more sense than 'the powers' in complete control.