Besides, where in history have you read, "And then the legislature did the righting and saved them?"
In the last 80 years, and just speaking about the US legislature -
The civil rights acts, of course.
The polio vaccine assistance act. We wiped out a disease and nobody made any real money from it because the legislature said enough is enough. Three years before the vaccine, polio was at epidemic proportions. We never talk about this in our history classes, but thousands of people (mainly children) were dying per year from polio. Legislation made sure everyone got the vaccine, regardless of their ability to pay for it. Within 5 years, polio was all but wiped out of the US. Further legislation -- on our part -- to make the vaccine readily available to the world has eradicated polio. There are only a handful of outbreaks a year, originating from the usual suspect countries.
The Marshall Plan and other efforts to spend an enormous amount of money rebuilding Europe instead of punishing Europe. We emerged as the champion and could have been cruel, instead we legislated some of the greatest humanitarian acts into being to rebuild infrastructure, entire cities, historical monuments, and deal with the greatest refugee crisis in modern history. All paid for by the citizens who dropped the bombs in the first place. Ditto Japan and the south Pacific, which benefited from similar plans.
Finally actually giving the vote to everyone, regardless of race, color, creed, or gender.
The ADA, of course, and medical/age assistance in general.
Clean water acts. It is now safe to drink water from the tap (theoretically) everywhere in the US whereas prior to the 1950s you had to treat going from Iowa to Kansas like going from the US to a Central American shantytown.
Various workplace safety acts so now your employer isn't allowed to seal you into the mine on purpose because you talked back to him, or force your 10 year old son into employment, or force you to spend 115% of your paycheck buying your own supplies for the job.
FDIC so that we can actually use our banks without fear of repeating 1929.
The GI Bill -- the most effective demobilization of a large army in history which was also designed to create a renewable brain trust that we're still benefiting from. Truly the only successful historical incidence of "turning swords into plowshares."
The FHA -- call them projects, but they were four walls and a roof.
Consumer Protection. So, now, when Ford builds a car that murders you and gets caught, they're forced to recall it as opposed to saying, "Buyer beware!"
The military -- this is controversial, and outdated, but we have a clean and functional armed forces program that's really miles above everyone else. We're also very focused on separating the military from the state. That's due to legislation, not just popular opinion.
The FDA -- someone is regulating your food and drugs (nominally, at the moment, but this entity doesn't have many opposite numbers in other countries).
Ongoing funding of basic science/NIH/NASA: Also something not too many other countries can claim.
I can go on if you want!
