Many of the railroad evils were inherent in the situation; they were explained by the fact that both managers and public were dealing with a new agency whose laws they did not completely understand.
I am prepared to admit that when it comes to dealing with the House and Senate leaders Obama is terrible. But he's great with the public. Which hates the House and Senate as much as he does.
Things like water and sewage systems require states in a large-scale society but states are also a good mechanism for dealing with health care education public transportation and infrastructure.