We are probably less than a couple decades away from a 1984-like dystopian future, or a very large scale block of civil unrest and domestic warfare. The increasing separation of classes combined with the duplicitous nature of politics and corporatism in the U.S. (let alone through the world) can not be strained much further without one of those results taking hold.
How can we get the populous to care, but more than just a 30 second "oh that's not good" then resuming with their normal life?
I don't think there's a quick and easy solution. Everything's not going to be changed overnight--even if we all agreed on what the final state should look like. I'd like to think we can figure out ways to move forward in the direction we generally want to go, knowing that it'll take a while to get there.
I do think only waiting is going to make things worse, harder to change as time goes by and the current situation becomes even more entrenched.
There are multiple projects here, too. One is to increase transparency. Another is to identify common goals that have support across the divides we currently see. I'm sure there are others. Identifying common goals and building support is something I don't think we need to wait for.
I apologize if I've put words in your mouth. Please correct me if I have.
Edit: Added thoughts on actions to start now.
However, everybody has wanted and continues to want to have their fingers in the federal pie, and that makes it much harder to pull away given how much everybody is now dependent on and intertwined with them.
But there is 1 interesting precedent being set: Legalization of marijuana. It is still federally illegal to use/possess/sell it, but states have rejected that and set their own standards. I don't think they can stop the feds doing raids within their borders, though, so it's not a total repudiation.