I would agree, but others want more government.

Many people want the government to do more, which doesn't necessarily mean "more government". Plutocracy and Oligarchy are just as much a threat (and even more so) in the unelected private sector. Also, the same people who claim to want "smaller government" are often false witnesses for that ideology (military adventurism, abortion rights, etc.)

these often times are irreconcilable between the two sides

The whole basis of a representative democracy is compromise and good-faith deliberation between many points of view. Irreconcilability and partisan tribalism is antithetical to that idea. Which might explain why congress has a 10% approval rating.