Some time ago I put forth the idea that most American Catholics prefer their government to more closely resemble their church: Power concentrated at the top, hierarchical, bureaucratic, and they don't mind their politicians to be rich and living in luxury the same as many of their religious leaders.
Protestant Americans, OTOH, prefer their government to resemble their churches: Power is concentrated at the local level, the laity have control over who leads them, and there's very little in the way of bureaucracy.
It's not a criticism, mind you, just an observation that people prefer to surround themselves with what's familiar to them.
Your observation is based on the liberal definition of Catholicism that Mario Cuomo helped popularize. Catholicism is not an ethnicity but a continual choice that Canon Law states must be reaffirmed weekly (minimum).
In the last election, Obama won the vote of self-identified Catholics by 51-48%. I do not have the stats to back this up, but given the fact that practicing Catholics (those who do practice the minimum requirement of the religion by attending Mass) tend to be MUCH older than society in general, and given the fact that Obama lost every age group over 40, I would expect that practicing Catholics actually vote conservative. That has also been my experience, even before you get to the issue of abortion.
Thing is, the Catholic Church, before the creation of national bishops’ conferences by Paul VI, WAS very decentralized. The local bishop answered to no one in Washington, and communication with Rome was infrequent, and in Latin! So letters were not only infrequent, but short!
A friend of mine was an Episcopal priest for about fifteen years. He became a Catholic, and about five years later, was ordained a priest. He commented to me on the many differences: After his first meeting with parishioners about some issue or other, he said he could not BELIEVE how Catholics talk to their priests! He said, “Episcopalians wouldn’t DARE.”
As for living in luxury: Most rectories are dumps. Even SOME bishops’ houses are dumps. And outside of rich countries, ALL rectories and bishops’ houses are dumps.
Interesting observation! ...may have legs.
My take is that there is a basic lack of commitment among Catholics to the teachings of the Church. Americans apparently are putting more faith in society's values than they do in the Church's values.
America has legalized abortion and promoted birth control as a positive and effective way to eliminate problems that may stem from unexpected pregnancy. Sexual standards have loosened.
Legalization of birth control and abortion in America have expanded to include same sex marriage, harvesting of aborted babies for stem cell research, three-parent children.
In addition the church is struggling with couples living together without guilt and without the benefit of the sacrament of marriage, how to deal with the offspring and parents of same sex marriage, rogue churches, and gross misuse of “social justice” that supports socialism and Marxism, not to mention rampant corruption.
Jesus urged His followers to be in the world, but not of the world.
Your understanding of RC teachings is wrong. The term used formally is "subsidiarity", and teaches EXACTLY the structure you posit that Protestants embrace as the ideal arrangement for governance.