I think the right word isn't "cynic" but "sceptic". A cynic takes delight in sneering at everyone and everything, and would be disappointed if it turned out that someone they'd been criticising was actually better than they had believed.

Just because someone has a low opinion of politicians and a particular political culture, or of wealthy and powerful people and the methods they use to get richer and more powerful - that in no way implies they are cynical. It is far more likely to imply that they are idealistic, which is the reverse of cynical.

What really is cynical is to assume that there is no point in making those kind of criticisms, because, when all is said and done, there's no way it could really be better.