And worth mention is religion. The United States has a jaw-droppingly powerful contingent of politically active Baptists and Catholics who have outspoken opinio

And worth mention is religion. The United States has a jaw-droppingly powerful contingent of politically active Baptists and Catholics who have outspoken opinions on why sexism is moral. Northern European Christians tend to be Lutheran, which gives many fewer shits about political issues; I'd have to check stats to see the strength of Catholicism there, but I believe it's weaker than Lutheranism. Not to mention that atheism has a far stronger showing in Europe in general. Finding third variables are your friend! (I am not saying that religion is the root of sexism in America; I am just agreeing with the correlation ≠ causation point and offering an alternative theory.) ETA: It's also worth pointing out that Catholicism itself is not a good root cause to point at; I've noticed that their political actions are driven by a desire to remain relevant and possibly to maintain support from political actors, rather than some sincerely doctrinal motive. Thus, American Catholicism could be very different from Northern European Catholicism.