What are your thoughts on a European-style social democracy in the United States?

[hii!]

I feel that America would greatly benefit with a Northern-European style system - ease of doing business, comprehensive social insurance, universal healthcare, living wages, etc.

Firstly, the American market needs to be reformed. The market needs to be more free - countries like Denmark and Norway have a much more free market than us with LESS regulation and lower corporate taxes, yet back up this economic openness that promotes economic prosperity with a comprehensive social insurance system. An expansion of labor unions could also help keep things running smoothly in all aspects of society. America needs to once again become the most free nation in the world. The US needs to reach "flexicurity" defined as a “golden triangle” with a “three-sided mix of (1) flexibility in the labour market combined with (2) social security and (3) an active labour market policy with rights and obligations for the unemployed”.

I would propose that America would first need to institute a universal health care system. It makes sense and reduces govt./personal spending. Children up to age 18 should also be entitled to free dental treatment. A system like Canada's that utilises private doctors, etc (people have as much choice to who treats them as America, probably more) with compulsory govt. health care would create an affordable system that benefits doctors and patients.

I would also propose a comprehensive social insurance system.
Parents should receive benefits if they have children to support families, and subsidized childcare.
The unemployed should receive benefits if they lose their job, regardless of if they quit/are terminated - however, these people must reapply every 12 months and must apply to jobs to prove they are looking for work. The government should provide training programs for people who cannot find jobs. This unemployment benefit should support people into work while providing comprehensive insurance for those who need it.
Things like public housing should be expanded, too. The goal of social insurance is a) to support families b) to eliminate poverty c) to provide a cushion for people who get are having a hardship. This model has been proved in Nordic countries, where unemployment levels are very low, however there is a comprehensive social insurance system to ensure a decent quality of life for all citizens.
Govt-mandated paid sick/vacation days are a must, too. Paid maternity leave should be mandated, too. A system for old-age pensions needs to be implemented and social security should be reformed.

Education needs to be more standardised to ensure nationwide standards that will propel our country to #1 in the world in education. Also, university education needs to become more affordable, to a point where no one must take out loans at public universities. This has been accomplished at nearly every other developed country in the world.. except the United States.
All of this is just a start.

What does everyone think of this? Would you want a social democracy system that supports a free market, social insurance, high quality of life, etc.

By the way, Norway has a GDP per capita of $99,000 a year, unemployment rate of 3.4%, 3.1% growth rate, and low debt of 29% of gdp. Compare to the US of a gdp per capita of $49,000 a year, 6.7% unemployment, 2.2% growth rate, and a high debt of 103% of gdp.
Also, if your concern is that Norway's small population couldn't be a reliable comparison, Germany, with 82 mil people, enjoys a 5% unemployment rate, lower debt, etc in the struggling euro zone.

[livelyson732]

People in the US don't have the same mentality than people have in those Scandinavian countries. There are some Americans who would even look upon your policies as a threat to them. The hardest part for you would be convincing Americans that they could benefit from your proposals. And then again to put your message out there you need the support of someone with money, which I don't think will happen any time soon since people with money in the States seem to prefer the Status Quo. Political candidates are backed by big money, so once in power they are answerable to those who financed their campaign. You'd need to stop private campaign donations in the first place to have a shot at it, which I doubt will happen any time soon.

[bruiserkc2]

Look at nations like Germany, Greece, Spain, and Italy....economies on the brink of collapse as those policies have not only failed but they have people that want to bring the EU away from those socialist government views. It is a lot easier to have those take place in smaller nations like Norway and Sweden, but with the United States and a population of over 300 million it would be an unmitigated disaster.

[Violentbadge491]

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The Democrats are Advocates of a policy that empowers a strong government to enslave its people with a high tax burden incident to the support of extravagant and unnecessary social programs destructive to both the work ethic among the lower class, and the incentive to innovate and succeed among the working class.
The problems we face today are because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living.
A democracy will continue to exist up until
the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous
gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority
always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from
the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally
collapse over loose fiscal policy