Certainly the area that we live in is responsible. People who live in Southern California will tell you that illegal immigration is one of the worst problems they face, while people in Iowa will complain about the environmental regulations that prevent them from making full use of their land. Even in the same city, the neighborhood you live in dictates a lot of the way you think. Certainly the people that we deal with affect our view of the world. If your coworkers or friends are constantly putting down our elected officials, chances are that you will grow negative about them as well, even if you don't realize it.
Different areas have different problems.
Here in Sioux Falls, we don't have a gang problem. No drive-by shootings, no areas that white people won't go into after dark, no little kids being caught in crossfire. So it doesn't seem serious to most people here. I know what a problem it can be, but even there I did not lock the doors of my car or my condo, because I stayed away from the Southeast area. People in Washington D.C. deal with far different problems than most of the rest of us.