The Declaration of Independence, makes it clear that a legitimate government of, for, and by the people, derives its just powers from the consent of the governed; which is the people of that nation.
Yet, how many people, can honestly say, that they believe that virtually anything that the current government does under their name or for their supposed benefit is actually being done through their consent?
Perhaps this type of governance as presently practiced, would be okay, if the government, essentially acted as a worthy proxy for the people, but far too often it does not – and some of the time, it clearly does not. This thus signifies that the only possible way to have better governance is for the people to have the power to actually hold that government, that acts on their behalf, actually accountable for its actions.
After all, whenever a government, essentially exists as an institution, in which, it is not reasonably held to a fair review or to a full account of its actions, by the people, or through the people's duly elected representatives, then that government, is going to have a strong inclination to act and behave in a manner that benefits those that are its true actuators and hence its true beneficiaries. Whether or not, people in America, are satisfied with their government, can best be answered by whether or not, the people, themselves, are well pleased.
For example, America, is a very wealthy nation, so one might reasonably assume that in consideration that America has so much wealth that such wealth would be distributed or re-distributed in such a manner, that the people, would therefore have securely in their hands, all that they would reasonably need to lead a satisfactory life. Yet, what we so find, is that America, is a country that seems to reflect that this is a nation of the few that have so much, and quite a few, that have so little.
One of the most significant problems that America has, is that despite its Constitution, and thus the division of its governance into the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches, that a significant amount of those representatives of the people, don't seem to have a lot in common with a lot of the people that they ostensibly represent, on either the issues or in their respective lifestyles Further to the point, for a certainty, most of the time in regards to the issues that are of most relevance to the people, this government or its representatives seldom answers to the people, at all, or when it does so, it is often done, reluctantly.
A government that was actually accountable to the people, would behave a whole lot different than our present day government does, because any time that any institution, is subject to being audited and has to answer those inconvenient questions that are asked at inconvenient times, then that government is going to have a strong tendency to behave in a way and manner, more in conformance to the desires of those that are holding it accountable. So then, as it stands, right now, this government is not being held accountable by the people; though, truth be told, it is for a certainty being held accountable to those that are its true masters.