I suspect it's more of a vote-getting problem. Take Georgia, in the US, for example. With all the things that need to be fixed or addressed, the biggest concern of the state population is whether or not Georgia will be able to have a flag that sports some sort of image used on a flag flown during the US Civil War. The state government panders to this emotional issue and the people lap it up like stupid dogs in front of a dish of canned food. Meanwhile, really important issues get to be disscussed and voted upon in "back rooms". So, people are scared for their children's safety. It's something they can understand 'cause it's near and dear to them. SO, the politions pander to that in anyway that will get them a sound byte. It doesn't even matter if it will stand up to the supreme court...they just report to their voters, "Well, I tried, but the evil Supreme Court ruled against it." And people love it.