In the rush to become all things to all people the federal government has lost sight of its core responsibilities. As a result we're stuck in this frustrating paradox where Washington actually neglects things it's clearly supposed to be doing while interfering in other areas where they are neither welcome nor authorized.
In the future instead of striving to be right at a high cost it will be more appropriate to be flexible and plural at a lower cost. If you cannot accurately predict the future then you must flexibly be prepared to deal with various possible futures.