> Americans distrust their government but trust corporations and the free market
I don't think that's true; that's a common European misinterpretation. I think, in general, Americans trust their government less than they trust corporations, but they are generally distrustful of any entity that wields or appears to wield significant power over them. Exceptions are made for entities that "agree" with a particular person (and these exceptions are not entirely rational).
There's the idea that a corporation has at least some economic incentive to do a decent job and government doesn't since it has zero competition. The classic example to the average person of the government's level of hustle being your local DMV.
I don't think that's true; that's a common European misinterpretation. I think, in general, Americans trust their government less than they trust corporations, but they are generally distrustful of any entity that wields or appears to wield significant power over them. Exceptions are made for entities that "agree" with a particular person (and these exceptions are not entirely rational).