This is the controversial one, perhaps. Who was going to force politicians and business to keep their promises? Well, the “activists” in civil society, usually to be found in campaigning groups. Did they succeed? No. Some will say they were always outnumbered, always outgunned.
Others (checks notes… er, me) will say that they played a weak-ish hand badly and never learnt anything, so just kept Groundhog Day-ing.
See also smugosphere, emotacycle.