Why Is the U.S. So Behind on Animal Welfare?

The article focuses on the contrast between animal welfare standards in the United States and those in Spain and the European Union (E.U.), highlighting that despite Americans' general concern for animals, U.S. laws lag behind due to political and structural factors. It details how Spain and the E.U. prohibit practices common in U.S. factory farming, such as confining egg-laying hens in cramped cages and keeping pregnant pigs in restrictive stalls, and also ban certain methods of killing birds during disease outbreaks and cosmetic testing on animals. The article attributes the U.S. shortfall in animal protection to its less democratic political system, where lobbying and campaign financing by factory farming interests influence legislation, unlike the stronger party systems and parliamentary democracies in Europe. It notes that while many U.S. states have passed animal welfare measures through voter initiatives, federal protections remain minimal.