"Unfortunately a strong welfare state often goes hand in hand with a stronger bureaucracy in general including many regulations, red tape, unfavorable tax codes

"Unfortunately a strong welfare state often goes hand in hand with a stronger bureaucracy in general including many regulations, red tape, unfavorable tax codes, and other obstructions to entrepreneurship." Often... in general... - too many maybes. I know for a fact that the UK and Ireland make it very simple and painless to start up. "This is where the US trumps the strong welfare states." Does it? Most regulations are set at the state level as well, so you're saying that, say, Massachusetts is more bureaucratic than North Dakota?