I think society has been moving left for a long time, but it seems to me that part of what distinguishes left from right is generally a respect for freedom of choice. People on the right want the freedom to choose no matter the issue so long as the choice doesn't hurt anyone, people on the left generally want the freedom to escape the consequences of their choices no matter who it hurts.
Any program that isn't funded by force or imposed in some authoritarian way is a program that lives or dies by its own merits. If I oppose such a program I am free to withhold financial support & encourage others to do the same. When such programs fail, many on the left tend to conclude that it's because people are evil & must be forced to do good things rather than reflecting & examining their own ideas & potential failings.
What distinguishes govt from a charity or business is forced vs voluntary funding. Captive citizens threatened with cages for failure to pay, or competition for patrons via useful products & services. There are businesses & charities that become quangos, seeking funding from govt, or protection from changing market desires, but that's only possible when there is already a large political apparatus & lots of forced funding already happening.
