> Part of the problem with regulated markets in the US (and not just power) is that the ingrained distaste for regulation seems to ensure that when it does happ

> Part of the problem with regulated markets in the US (and not just power) is that the ingrained distaste for regulation seems to ensure that when it does happen it's done as badly and obstructively as possible. I think that you've got the causality backwards - the distaste comes from experience. > If you are willing to let the government do more, they can step in and make as many changes as they need to allow a market to function Or, they can step in and screw things up. It's unreasonable for Americans to assume that regulation will become more effective if we stop resisting it. Instead, it's up to those who favor more regulation in the US to make US regulation work so they can point to successes instead of whining "but Europeans can do it". BTW - I don't think that you understand the scale of the US, how much larger our federal govt is. Ohio, a fairly middling state, is comparable in population to Finland. California has over 36 million people, and it's just over 10% of the total.