Uhh, what? Okay, ignoring that I can barely figure out what you're trying to say, let's go through it point by point:
If you are acting outside of the law you should be punished by it, I think we all agree on this.
No. No, we definitely don't all agree on this. We have a moral obligation to disobey unjust laws. Voicing your disagreement is not sufficient. Given how often the opinion of the public is manipulated, ignored, and otherwise undermined; I'd say this that should be obvious. You can't just appeal to authority. You have to think and act for yourself, and that problem by its very nature will never go away.
The problem comes when the definition of what['s] legal and [illegal] is left to [politicians and other civil-servants]. [T]his is where active citizenship comes to play.
It's not just a matter of corrupt politicians bowing to corporate interests. Politicians bow to to their constituents in just as stupid and often stupider ways. You'd think if the recent election would've taught us anything it's that maybe populism isn't so hot. Seriously what do you know about making laws? What do you know about science? about construction and infrastructure? about teaching or community outreach? Do you actually think you're qualified to speak on politicized topics like healthcare?
Active citizenship is widely promoted, but seriously over rated. The vast majority of the time all you're doing is pushing your uneducated ideas onto other people. Yes, experts should work with the government. Yes, we should elect civil-servants who have similar core values to us. After that, stay out of the way unless you know what you're doing, and pro-tip: you don't know what you're doing.
You see the distinction I'm making here? Being an active citizen does not mean pestering your representative on every damn thing you have an opinion about while blindly going through life following the rules. If you want to be an active citizen you have to do something way harder: You have to know the very narrow range where you're qualified to speak, and you have to think for yourself everywhere else. You can't push your views onto the world to do what you think is right, but you still have to do what you think is right.
Just look around how many things are "illegal" just because of ... the ignorance and non participation of citizens in the decision making process.
Mostly the ignorance of participating citizens. The ignorance of nonparticipating citizens doesn't hurt us. By definition they've removed themselves from the process. You can't assume things would be better with them in the process because, well, look where the ignorance of those currently involved has gotten us.
We think of the government the same way we think of private companies, like these detached institutions that have their own rules. We keep forgetting that the government is just an extension of our own selves and that we are the ones who decide which way it goes.
Governments are detached institutions. They operate in a way that, the vast majority of the time, is separate from most people's day to day activities. Yeah, you drive on roads and pay taxes, but you also eat food and purchase from stores. Every person has a social context, there's no denying that, but your individual context comes first. Whether you like it or not, part of being human is being an individual. Your default perspective is not the good of society, it's the good of yourself. There's nothing wrong with that as long as you properly understand how you and society interact. Usually, you get along with society, but that doesn't mean you can stop thinking and just follow along.
Sometimes you follow the rules because you agree. Sometimes you follow the rules because you have to. Sometimes you break the rules because you disagree. Sometimes you break the rules because you have to. Sometimes you regret breaking the rules. Sometimes you regret following them. It's not your place to make decisions in ignorance for others, but as an individual you're obligated to make those decisions for yourself. Even though sometimes you'll learn you were wrong.
So, I am less worried about the technology and more about how the people keep forgetting that the governments work for us and are made by us.
The government is supposed to work for us, but that's awfully idealistic. Not all governments work for their people. I definitely didn't make the government. The vast majority of the time, I'm not qualified to shape it either. I tell my representatives what my values are, vote for the ones who seems to genuinely represent me, and tell them what I think they need to know in the rare case that they're doing something relevant to my specialized profession, but that hardly constitutes making the government.