The idea of "service to common men" goes back to antiquity. Mahayana Buddhists modeled their bodhisattvas after Brahmana priests in order to justify why peasant

The idea of "service to common men" goes back to antiquity. Mahayana Buddhists modeled their bodhisattvas after Brahmana priests in order to justify why peasants must pay taxes to monasteries, or why a monastery owns all the land. Catholic Church is famous for its middleman's role between men and god, where one could buy release from one's own sins. Actually, all organised religions degrade to this or that form of bargain with help of authorized servants of the common folk. Governments just have reused this thousands years old meme that they are necessary public servants, that without them whole world would collapse the very next day they stopped performing their rituals. We are not even speaking here about primitive authoritarian governments which have nothing but self-preservation and continuous increase of power and wealth in their agenda.