The micro-scale of US elections is part of the problem.
Over here, we vote in three elections only: local council, state government, federal government. That’s all; no votes for judges, sheriffs, school boards, dogcatchers, etc.
It’s already hard enough getting people to care about the council elections; no way in hell could you get them to give a shit about anything below that level. Even within this system, the local councils are notorious hotbeds of corruption, largely because no one cares enough to pay close attention to what they do until they’re personally affected.
This is a major part of why the non-US world doesn’t elect petty officials. Elections that no-one cares about are much too vulnerable to corruption and manipulation.
