US culture is driven by lack of social interaction. People in rural areas have few interactions with others and don't like rules that limit their own immediate

US culture is driven by lack of social interaction. People in rural areas have few interactions with others and don't like rules that limit their own immediate freedoms (to not wear masks, to discriminate, etc.) to keep society safe and in harmony. Due to this effect, older big cities are more "European," newer cities are less "European," and outside of cities, you'll see a lot more people range from "but my freedoms" to actively antisocial. Here, I'm using "European" in the "Western European" sense like you presumably are. Eastern Europeans have an anti-Communist bent that resembles rural Americans' behavior.