I'm not sure that America presents itself as a "bastion of...lean government with minimum taxes". It's so obviously not true that I'd like to see any statement from the US government in front of International forums or through diplomatic channels in that regard. So if the government is presenting itself this way consistently, I'd like to see where this presentation is taking place (vs promoting liberal values in abstract).

However, reduction of taxes and government intervention is a common talking point in internal politics. All things considered, the US has done a better job than, let's say, Europe and Asia in keeping the government out of economic affairs. No sane American libertarian would say, though, that the government has been successful at being "lean with minimum taxes", however it's doing better than most other major countries.

Having lived abroad and personally knowing many people living across the world, I can say that keeping taxes "low-ish" and the market "free-ish" is rarely a topic of conversation in the mainstream political debate outside the US.

It is presented like this in popular culture. At least from my consumption of it. I am not even sure you can say US gov is less involved in economic affairs than the govs of the rest of the world. The taxpayer money has to go somewhere and in other countries it seems to go more towards infrastructure, social causes, healthcare. In US it goes where? Defense and business development? So they are probably more involved in economic affairs.

It's true that in europe lower taxes are not a topic. Nobody really expects to pay less taxes. They expect better services and guarantees.

Nobody is upset because nobody is aware (this is hyperbole; obviously some people are aware and upset). But from my time in the states, it is very clear how effective US propaganda is. Working Americans don't realise they are paying a huge amount in taxes, and believe they can't have nice things like healthcare and retirement.