All government is potentially oppressive, which is why it has to be kept strictly in check. Ours is clearly out of control.
Lots of “conservatives” are quite comfortable with a government that is not at all in check, as long as it enforces their prejudices and/or religion.
Plenty of Republicans are quite comfortable with a very very powerful government, as long as it oppresses the right people (and of course Democrats even more so).
The government should be weak enough that if it was filled with *nothing* other than the worst of men, it could do no harm. It’s why I do NOT want a government that supports or works towards a ‘Christian Nation’, because a government that can push Christian values will be able to push Islamic values when they become more numerous and politically powerful.
I regard *all* politicians as bad people by definition. Good people don’t seek political power any more than they seek crack whores; the fact they even want to be in office means I am going to hold my wallet tight and be quite sure they are in it for personal gain.
So yes, it needs to be kept in check because it is never run by good people, only the corrupt, the fanatic, and the criminal.
Never let government have any more power under someone you like than you want it to have under the worst person you could ever imagine.