When the US Federal Government was 2% of GDP (prior to Woodrow Wilson, the Progressives and the Federal Reserve) - things like education, health care, crime, public morals - were handled by society at large, usually at the most local level. People had freedom, and they had responsibility. Their free associations created the "rules" of society. This vast general consensus and outcomes it produced was known as "civil society."
When government is large, citizens and civil society are small. Look at the Soviet Union or Maoist China. Those extreme Marxists insisted Government control EVERYTHING, so all units of civil society - religion, social clubs, NGO's, were all destroyed or co-opted. This is what the Left/Progressives of America are after - co-opting the units of civil society within government and their political framework to advance their goals.
OK, you make a very valid point and having ancestors who were Minute Men I ask you thusly...
You are King for today, what will you do to improve the lot and situation for All...
If Society (I prefer The People, no mistake about all of us) is responsible what the hell are we doing about it...
Looking at polls and basing decisions based on others choices??