Utopia is probably not the right word- but when you start reading about places in the world where things actually work in a non-corrupt way, there is a certain point where it hits with the power of a revelation. You suddenly go, wait, politicians that take bribes get in trouble for it? Corporations that abuse their power have to account for it? What kind of crazy world is this? You suddenly realize that there is a higher standard out there, and all the shoulder-shrugging non-explanations of "well that's just how government is" start to look pretty flimsy. It's not that I expect utopia; it's that I think we can do better than complete and total failure.