Different countries assign different roles to government but in practice all governments do primarily just one thing. Government provides a way for super smart people to exploit the stupidity and instinctive behavior of the general population. So far a 50,000 year time line of history provides no exceptions.
Being stupid, the human animal insists its government performs the tasks with which it is assigned. Common Sense Economics is constantly right where others are wrong because institutions and people are studied according to how they functions and not according to how they are defined. Those who base their lives on euphemisms always end up disappointed.
“You can’t cheat an honest man. Never give a sucker an even break or smarten up a chump.
In the above quote, Fields adequately describes the approach of presidents, congress and just about everyone who gets elected to public office. The public doesn’t seem to mind.