US states are comparable with smaller countries like Sweden. So area / population is not a reason, why good policies from e.g. Sweden can't be copied – just implement them on a state level. The main problem is different culture – individualism, guns etc.
Not only is that a naive statement, it is simply not true.
First, states are too dependent on interstate commerce and trade to operate as micro-countries. We need the federal regulations for several reasons:
- How do you tax a pipeline than runs from
Louisiana to Texas?
- Or a power grid that spans an entire region of states?
- Or how do you provide social services to people who live
in New Jersey but whose work is taxed in Manhattan?
My point was, that the dependecies / coupling between the US are not the reason, why coping policies from countries like Sweden won't work. Sweden is part of the EU. Countries in the EU are not so interconnected as the US, but still are quite a lot - higways, power grid, money transfers, usually the same currency. There really aren't many policies, that are only feaible in smaller countries.
You know, lots those problems have already been solved in the EU. It isn't necessarily that complicated. Especially if you keep the federal structures where it makes sense.
