Even the religious people bought into the idea that one shouldn't impose one's values on someone else. They wanted to do good without any strings attached. So if you asked the government to do it, your personal sense of good would remain intact and you would be less criticized. Also, the churches use government more and more because the reasons for doing good have changed. You used to do good because you wanted to help the person in need have a better life by helping themselves.
Later thinkers amend society, rather than the individual.
Considerably less care was paid to whether something actually worked and benefited its intended beneficiaries. It was also a cheap and easy way out. When the government tackles a problem, you have a lot more leisure time because you don' t have to volunteer yourself. Someone else solves the problem for you while you feel morally virtuous for making grand statements about what the government ought to be doing about it. You have been active in the United States in trying to build up communities.