Two quotes jumped out at me recently and helped me get clearer about the proper role of government.
The first is from Ayn Rand in her book “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal”
The only proper function of the government of a free country is to act as an agency which protects the individual’s rights, i.e., which protects the individual from physical violence. Such a government does not have the right to initiate the use of physical force against anyone-a right which the individual does