In a democracy the government can't do whatever it likes, it does whatever the electorate are willing to allow or tolerate. The fact is the electorate are willing to allow government to do a lot more than many at the libertarian end of the spectrum like. However blaming "the government" rather than the collective democratic will of the people and their elected representatives sounds better.

I feel like the lack of recognition that "the government" means "the people's expressed will" (albeit there's a gap there in representative democracy) is a major problem in society.

Simultaneously said gap between the government and the people is also a massive problem.

It's a tough nut to crack (ie a hard problem) as those in power are generally loathed to close the gap, as that relinquishes power.

Meanwhile the average person send to be something of a political ignoramus prone to manipulation, whither the power and expression of democracy now?!?

What made/makes the U.S. unique is that it is/was founded not on allowing the will of the majority to dictate but rather on protecting and preserving the rights (freedoms and liberties) of the minority. The greatest minority is the individual. Just because >50% of the people will or want something does not mean that they and their government are not tyrannical. The majority can be wrong.

Cough Magna Carta Cough.