Are there actually any people delusional enough to believe that this is done because their respective governments have their best interest at heart?
People in other (generally higher trust, higher social capital) countries (such as Denmark) more often have a more positive attitude towards the role of government.
This is largely due to having followed a different trajectory of sociocultural evolution and having collectively undergone a different set of experiences. It's fragile without active maintenance (transparency, accountability, etc). Trust is easier to lose than to gain.
... and only very little about actual reality.
Anyhow, sure!
I don't know why you specifically mention cynical, btw. That's definitely not what I thought. Malicious came to mind, but hey, we can't all think the same things, right?
So ... name five governments actually caring and looking out for their people.
With evidence that I can't rip apart, please.