This kind of social control and imposition is exactly what Conservatives in charge want. Their worldview dictates that they know better than "lesser" people like us. While they have given lip service to democracy, they would abandon it readily if it meant that their will could be imposed by other means. Conservatives left to their own devices, become illiberal and authoritarian. Democracy is a tool to them, a tool they can discard when no longer useful. To Liberals, democracy is a principle a form of governance where people entrusted with power, are ultimately responsible to those who put them into those positions of power.
This is why Conservative are so vague on policy and their tactics for political power ALWAYS involves shrinking the voter base. They know that their actual policies appeal only to the very richest and most powerful people, a tiny minority but with outsized influence. They use "culture war" and wedge issues to keep powerless people in their coalition so that they can compete electorally.
When Democrats are in power, the wealthy lose a fraction of their wealth, and opportunity and prosperity are distributed more equitably. The wealthy people HATE that. When Conservatives/Republicans are in charge, the benefits of society are shifted back upwards to the wealthiest people and any burden for paying for social programs is put on the backs of the working and middle classes, otherwise social safety net programs are slashed.
For Conservatives with power, it really is about who the law binds but does not protect, and who the law protects but does not bind, as Francis Wilhoit stated.
If Conservatives were really honest about what they proposed and about what society should look like, they would be a "nothing" political movement. We are seeing some of the honesty coming through in their extremist policies on abortion and trans rights. They feel emboldened right now.
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