What can I do about the problems facing our nation?

I've been paying very close attention to what our leaders are saying about the problems facing our country and what they plan to do about it. All of our politicians make elaborate speeches and big promises about how they plan to fix the coming energy crisis or the economy, and they make speeches and promises about how they plan to fix the nation's education system and get rid of the corruption in government. So, as I am really young (19), I was really pumped up by this last presidential election, and even though I was too young to vote, I was feeling empowered to make positive change. But, after taking the time to learn about previous elections - not just presidential elections but ALL kinds of elections and policy decisions - I have become very, very cynical about the entire political process. So many of the problems facing us now could have been prevented. Candidates from the 60's and 70's campaigned heavily on issues such as "ending our addiction to oil" or addressing problems with our education system, but these are STILL major issues today. I mean, just to name another example:Our intelligence agencies are saying that we are suffering from a severe shortage of cyber-security personnel. How could they not see this coming?! This is serious. My point is that if we cannot rely on the people we put in charge to have the political guts to actually solve problems - to actually choose progress over getting reelected - then what can we do? I know that I can vote, but it seems like only the candidates with the most money win, and we all know that they are not always the best people for the job. Is there anyone else out there who also feels powerless about this? Thanks a lot for your answers.