In "Political Order & Political Decay" author F. Fukuyama describes several societies that tried to mitigate the forces of patrimonialism from systems of governance. When this psychological force was quelled, the society became better for average people. But eventually it returned--and led to a collapse of that society.

In these cases, we have deliberate builders of culture. I believe these builders are the exceptions rather than the rule. Most cultures just happen--and their people find themselves stuck in that that way of thinking.