Power is the ability to get other humans to do what you want them to.  Violence is the most effective form of power.  When the government is the only one who can rightly use violence, everyone who can’t are their slaves, as they must obey or face this violence.  Going back to 1776-1930 America means the people have the police powers again, and no man is slave to another.  Judges, politicians, donors, police can’t get away with murder when anyone can enforce the law.  Hence “equality under the law”.  We went from being the only free country on the planet, to being the least free country the world has ever known, and it all came with these governments ending equality under the law.