With so many brilliant scholars in the US, why doesn't the country seek their advice to reform its social systems?

From an outsider's perspective, academia in the United States leads the world not just in STEM, but also in the humanities and social sciences. Intellectuals like John Rawls, Ronald Dworkin, Martha Nussbaum, Peter Singer, and Paul Krugman are widely respected even among specialists, and their ideas are taught in high school textbooks.

If my country had scholars of that caliber, they would carry immense authority. Politicians and bureaucrats would consult them when drafting policies, and their public statements would carry enough weight that politicians couldn't easily ignore them.

Yet Americans often seem to bypass these eminent scholars, paying more attention to non-experts like sports stars, pop icons, and influencers. Why is that the case?