Scott
Almost since I've become politically astute (whatever that means), I have encountered quite a few thinkers saying that we need to change ourselves first, then the rest of the world will change.
Unfortunately, our current system of government has a lot of negative attributes. These attributes are affecting the psyche of millions. So if a thousand people "improve themselves" while a million people go further along a darker path, that is not much progress.
I have an article in the works about why "improve yourself" is not enough. We need a new system of governance that can lead the way.