Just 19 percent say they trust government “Just about always/Most of the time.” Must be government workers and their kin.

An appallingly low 81 percent trust the government “Only some of the time/Never.”

That’s not surprising. At this point, most of us have had experience with long DMV lines, arrogant and even brutal cops, thumb-screws from the IRS or the Franchise tax board and ignorant politicians.

The surprise is why all those 81 percent don’t vote for the Libertarian Party instead of what Ralph Nader calls the “duopoly” of Republicans and Democrats. On the other hand, voting also has plummeted, with just 13 percent taking part in the June 6 primary in Los Angeles.

Even if they’ve never heard it, people seem to be taking to heart the old libertarian slogan, “Don’t vote. It only encourages them.”