No, people are pessimistic because their agency is being taken from them. Trust in democracy is low because polarized private media manipulate the public into thinking it is always corrupted and cannot be fixed while the rich make sure to kick off the ladder at every step with regulatory capture or simply by squishing competition as soon as they notice it.

They own you. By design.

https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/democracy/the-lewis-powell-me...