I've noticed that it's an awkward distrust. They distrust police, but support them because they're heroes. They unabashedly support the military, for any reason. Federal government they sort of distrust, but mostly just don't want feds around. State government they don't want anywhere near their lives, but are staunchly supportive of state's individual rights. Local government they only distrust because they know the people on the county board and don't like them, but believe that all power is derived from local government.

At least those are the general attitudes in my small portion of middle-America; take it for what it's worth, I guess. I can't wrap my mind around it.