10 Things Politicians Always Promise to Fix — But Never Do

Politicians play the same worn-out playlist of their “greatest hits” repeatedly for generations during every election. They flash those fake smiles from the stage and swear that this time, they really mean it.

Universal healthcare! Cheaper eggs! Affordable education! But just like your uncle’s “famous” chili that never quite delivers, these promises are all sizzle, no steak. Every few years, we fall for the same trap with a slightly updated logo. And yet, the problems stick around like glitter after visiting a shady nightclub.

Here are the top ten issues politicians swear they’ll fix time and time again.

1. Universal Healthcare For All

Politicians love to parade around “Medicare for All” like they just invented sliced bread, even though most of the developed world has had this figured out since forever. The idea is that everyone gets healthcare, and nobody goes bankrupt from going to the hospital. It’s pretty simple. But in the U.S., we’ve got a system that’s basically a Hunger Games for health coverage. Even the loudest politicians tend to suddenly “rethink the details” once they’ve secured the votes. “Unfortunately, the budget’s pretty tight,” becomes the new reality. Meanwhile, going to the ER after stubbing your toe still costs more than your car.

2. Rebuilding Infrastructure

Politicians will always say something like, “Let’s rebuild this goshdarn city!” standing in front of a bridge that’s about to collapse. Roads look like Swiss cheese, water mains are pumping lead, and public transport is just, well, it’s there. But instead of fixing the basics, we get one fancy new parking lot and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Big plans get announced with a bang but die in committee meetings and budget limbo. Politicians shift their focus to their next campaign slogan, leaving us to navigate through obstacles the size of kiddie pools.

3. Making All Groceries Affordable

Groceries are so expensive now that buying a dozen eggs feels like a big financial decision. Every time food prices spike, politicians jump in with dramatic speeches about stopping price gouging and fighting for the average family. They pledge to collaborate with the private sector, which typically amounts to sending a strongly worded email and hoping for positive outcomes. Meanwhile, grocery chains break profit records, your favorite cereal doubles in price, and you start considering growing your own tomatoes and raising chicken in the backyard.

4. Affordable Housing

Every election season, politicians promise to make housing “affordable again.” They’ll take on the greedy landlords and regulate the real estate fat cats. Or at least that’s what they promise. But guess what? Suddenly, all that fiery housing reform is watered down into meaningless fluff. First-time buyers receive a new tax break, while the construction of luxury condos continues unabated.

5. Student Loan Forgiveness

If student loan forgiveness were a person, it would be that friend who always says they’ll pay back the $20 you gave them next Friday but never does. Every campaign season, candidates make big, shiny promises to cancel debt and give millions of borrowers a break. But after the election, they ghost those poor students. What do we get instead? A confusing mess of payment plans and “limited-time relief” that barely scratches the surface. Meanwhile, debt keeps piling up, and colleges still charge $10,000 for classes you could’ve watched on YouTube for free.

6. Raising the Minimum Wage

Politicians have been promising a livable minimum wage since the invention of toilet paper. They’ll say, “It’s time people earned enough to live!” and everyone cheers. And maybe they mean it, but once the votes are in, it’s over. Some even argue about how it’ll ruin the economy, hurt small businesses, and cause chaos in the universe. Meanwhile, everything gets pricier, but your paycheck’s still stuck in 2009.

7. Gun Control

Every school shooting elicits the same response: “Thoughts, prayers, and serious action this time.” The politicians talk about background checks, red flag laws, and banning weapons designed for action movies. And then, when the push comes to shove, suddenly, nothing happens. As soon as the headlines fade, the urgency disappears. Lobbyists swoop in, throw cash around like they’re made of money, and the whole reform idea quietly gets buried next to your hopes, dreams, and that old gym membership card.

8. Getting Billionaires to Pay Taxes

Politicians often argue passionately about forcing the wealthy to contribute fairly. They hold press conferences, wave charts, and talk tough. But let’s be real—billionaires still find loopholes, and there’s nothing we can do. They’ve got accountants doing financial gymnastics to avoid taxes entirely and somehow pay less in taxes than a homeless person living under the bridge.

9. Kicking Big Money Out of Politics

Campaign finance reform is the political equivalent of “I swear I’ll clean my room later.” It’s always a top priority that keeps getting pushed down because no politician really wins from solving it. The same people who say they want to break up with big donors are still deep in a toxic relationship with them, and we’re all just watching it happen like a bad reality show.

10. Homes for the Homeless

Homelessness is one of those issues that’s always about to be solved, according to every campaign trail speech ever. “We’ll build affordable housing! Expand services! Get people the help they need!” However, as soon as the voting ends, we receive little to no action. Instead of long-term solutions, we get temporary shelter beds and police sweeps that shuffle unhoused folks out of sight. Mental health services stay underfunded, rents rise, and cities treat homelessness like an inconvenience instead of a crisis. Nothing ever changes. Not in a good way, at least.