It's real easy to become a jaded clock puncher when you're a social worker on a six person team that can barely eek out three people's worth of work because three of the people are deadbeats who's only qualifications are an ability to deposit paychecks and knowing someone who was owed a favor by a politician or appointed high level bureaucrat. The one party states have it the worst because the "next guy's cronies" can't clean house without annoying people within their own network because they're all from the same party. That's assuming they're not union positions and they can actually be fired or laid off in a practical manner.

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.