American exceptionalism tells us America is the best country in the world.
“USA! USA!”
We Chant.
“We’re Number One; We’re Number One!”
We scream.
But is it true?
Young Adults No Longer Believe in American Exceptionalism
Young adults no longer believe in America’s promise as the greatest country in the world. A Pew survey from 2021 found that only 10% adults aged 18-29 believe America is the best country in the world.
The numbers aren’t much better when you add in other age groups, as less than a quarter of all respondents agreed America stands above the rest.
However, the majority (52%) agree America is among the best, though the younger crowd is less likely to say that (48%) and more likely to say other countries are better (42%).
Why America isn’t the Best
Ground Picture via Shutterstock.com.
Why are so many young people disillusioned with America’s promise? Why are they more likely to say America isn’t the best?
I think the answer lies in the internet. Younger generations are more likely to make friends across oceans, giving them the opportunity to talk with people from other countries and share experiences. They’re no longer beholden to the news or propaganda to tell them what’s happening elsewhere, they can find out for themselves.
And they’re seeing all the ways other countries are better than the US.
I Love America
Don’t get me wrong, America is a wonderful country, and I’m happy to live here. I’m older than the 18-29 crowd, and while I don’t completely buy into American exceptionalism, I believe in it’s promise.
Part of that is taking the blinders off and realizing there are things other countries do better. We can learn from them and adapt their improved systems into our own, ensuring the United States always comes in first.
17 Things Other Countries Do Better Than the US
So, let’s examine some of the things other countries to better. Here are a handful of systems, values, and ideas from other countries we found around the internet that the US could adopt to truly stand out as the best country in the world.
A Better Tax System
PeopleImages.com – Yuri A via Shutterstock.com.
The US tax system is complicated and confusing. The onus is on the individual to determine how much they own, a feat difficult to navigate given the complex laws and varying deductions.
Americans typically have to pay someone to help them file taxes, an additional burden in an already expensive country.
Other countries make paying taxes easy.
“Our (Danish) government gives us a number and shows the calculations, which we can correct if we see things that are wrong/missing,” shared one user.
“I have never had to file a tax return or report my income or anything else even once. I have spent less than 5 minutes total sorting out my taxes in my life. It’s all done automatically. I live in the UK,” replied another.
Less Corporate Lobbying
Some users pointed out that the US’s complex tax system resulted from lobbying. Tax prep companies would lose money if the US implemented a more straightforward approach, so they constantly lobby against any changes.
“We have unfortunately tried this several times. Intuit (company that makes TurboTax) intervenes every time this concept gets traction to make sure it can’t happen and hurt their business,” said one user.
Far too many policies resulting from lobbying harm American citizens. Everything from tax write offs to health insurance is worse in this country because of it. Other countries limit corporate lobbying or ban it all together, resulting in better outcomes for their citizens.
Getting Home Safe
One Redditor shared an ingenious system they found in Japan for reducing drunk driving.
“In Japan, there is a service that you can call 24hrs/day that will come with 2 drivers 1 car,” they began.
“One driver drives you and your car home, the other follows in their car to pick up the driver that took you home with your car.”
Japan’s pick-up service allows people to get themselves and their vehicles home without worrying about parking tickets, double Ubers, and trying to find their car the next day.
What a neat idea – but Americans may scoff at letting a stranger drive their car.
Keep Public Places Clean
Anyone visiting a public toilet in the US knows we don’t always value cleanliness. Although the US isn’t the worst offender, some countries offer superb public facilities.
Many pointed to Japan as a great example. “The clean restrooms there were amazing. I never had to clean a toilet seat to put my young kids on it. In the states? Near every time. People here just don’t care about the ‘we’ when it comes to restrooms,” said one user.
Others said it’s a cultural difference. “Pretty sure people there don’t really make a mess in the first place. Or way less. Work in retail, differently people here in the US go out of there way to make a mess everywhere they go,” stated one.
Healthcare
The US lags behind nearly every other developed country in healthcare access. We could easily look to our friends in Europe or Asia for examples of how to care for our people.
“Other countries all over the world have figured out different ways to do this, so why can’t we?” lamented one user.
“Healthcare should absolutely be at the top of this list. It’s insane how bad the American healthcare system is compared to most developed nations,” replied another.
Healthcare While Unemployed
Halfpoint via Shutterstock.com.
Part of the problem with America’s healthcare system is that it’s tied to employment, meaning when people lose their jobs, their healthcare is also at risk.
A user from Germany chimed in with their experience. “I have been unemployed a few times here in Germany due to a disability I acquired,” they began, adding that they “never lost my health insurance or was afraid I would. People get into a situation like mine very fast and unexpected, and then losing your insurance would make it even worse.
“I was only able to get back to work due to access to proper health care and rehabilitation services. The government even paid for me to go back to school so I could make a necessary career change. The US absolutely could afford something like this too and really needs it.” they finished.
“As a non American, it HORRIFIES me when I hear of the awful stories about your healthcare,” added another user.
Teach Children To Clean
One user shared the unique system Japan implements to teach domestic responsibilities to children.
“I like how in Japan, the schools basically have the kids clean up after themselves and take care of their school,” they said. “They don’t have janitors, and children serve their peers’ lunch, too.”
The system teaches kids personal responsibility and cleanliness and saves the school money because they don’t have to hire janitorial and lunchroom staff.
Include Sales Tax in Prices
America is one of the only countries that doesn’t list tax as part of the final price. When consumers pay for their purchases, they expect to pay more than the sticker price to account for it, which can shock foreign visitors.
“Man, I had such a hard time with this when I visited America. Maths in my head is not my forte, and I’m so used to looking at prices and expecting that to just be the price. I don’t get why you wouldn’t just add in the tax to the price. No one wants to do math unnecessarily,” said one user.
Some said they like to know how much they’re paying in taxes, so like the current system, but others mentioned that some countries print both prices on the receipt, offering the best of both worlds.
Voting System
Many users agreed that America’s voting system is subpar. Everything from the immense power of the two major parties to the first-past-the-post primary system needs work.
“If you have winner-takes-all elections, you will eventually make your way to two roughly equal political parties. If we wanted to actually change it, we would have to move at least one chamber of Congress to a proportional parliamentary system,” explained one user.
Others said they’d love to see viable third parties, but we’d need to switch to ranked-choice voting, a system implemented successfully in many other countries.
“Norway had 4 parties above 10% in the last election, Sweden had 3, Finland had 5, Iceland had 5,” said one user, sharing how different voting systems can lead to broader representation.
Public Transportation
America’s car-centric culture fails in big cities. It causes traffic congestion, pollution, long commutes, and limits safe walkways.
Many other countries (and even cities within the US!) prioritize public transportation, creating bike paths, metro rails, pedestrian zones, and other infrastructure that limits cars but makes traveling around the city without one a breeze.
“The French do trains very well, too. There are the RER, TER, intercités, and the TGV. Even the intercités are faster and cheaper than the Acela. Each train system has a clear role and integrates well into the national and international system,” observed one user.
“I get that we are never going to have high-speed rail across the USA, but it’s pathetic that our cities don’t at least have extensive subway/surface/elevated rail systems,” lamented another.
Siesta
The Spanish tradition of mid-day naps needs to come to America. One Redditor even claimed doctors support the mid-day respite.
“According to Dr. Andrew Huberman, whether you eat lunch or not, everyone requires a rest midday,” they shared.
Although taking a break in the middle of the day might be nice, some users said they’d hate it.
“I don’t want a siesta. I wouldn’t want to just do nothing for a couple hours at work, and I also don’t want to go home for a couple hours just to have to go back,” admitted one.
Learning a Foreign Language
Children pick up language far easier than adults. Many countries require students to learn a second language beginning in primary school when their brains are wired to understand language.
In the US, kids don’t start learning a second language until high school, when it’s already much more challenging.
One user said they love for the US to start “Teaching foreign language to young students in public schools (i.e., 5yrs, k-5) when the propensity to learn language quickly is maximum,” like many other countries do.
Others shared that it’s already happening regionally.
“In my state, the kids start learning Spanish in kindergarten,” said one.
“Here in TX, there are many public schools and preschools that willingly put ESL (Spanish-speaking) kids in with the English speaking kids and teach them in both languages. It’s greatly helpful because it teaches them how to hold full conversations in another language with each other, which is something the high school level courses rarely do,” added another.
Parental Leave
America bottoms the list of countries offering assistance to new parents, offering no mandatory paid time off – not even for mothers after giving birth.
The best option America has is the FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) which guarantees up to six weeks of unpaid time off for medical care – but small business are exempt meaning millions of workers have nothing.
Most of Europe does so much better. Some even offer up to two years off, split between mother and father, so that both parents can participate in the crucial first years of a child’s development.
America claims it loves families, but other countries do a much better job of supporting them.
Childcare
America also fails in childcare policies for parents of young children, making it nearly impossible to afford kids. There are few subsidizes, and childcare costs have soared in recent years, sometimes costing more than a mortgage!
Other countries do so much better. Many offer free or subsidized childcare programs for all parents, ensuring everybody has the opportunity to work (if they want). Nobody has to choose between paying for childcare and paying for the mortgage, or give up on their careers because they can’t afford daycare.
We could learn from other countries on better ways to make parenthood a feasible option for more people.
A Better Work Culture
Americans live to work, while citizens of other countries work to live.
We don’t have much of a choice though, as our messed up work culture allows employers to pay us paltry wages, force us to work long hours, refuse to offer time off (even when we’re sick!) and fire us without cause.
Other countries do better in supporting workers rights. In Europe, workers are guaranteed fair wages and time off. They’re protected against working ungodly hours and being fired for no reason. And crucially – they’re allowed to stay home when they’re sick!
America could easily follow Europe’s lead and institute a few worker protection policies that would greatly enhance the quality of life for all its citizens.
Education
Americans must choose between going to college and getting saddled with debt for the rest of their life or opting out of higher education. Unfortunately, this means smart kids with enormous potential from poverty-stricken homes usually can’t afford college.
We’re destroying our own potential as a country by preventing millions of would-be scientists, doctors, and engineers from having a chance – all because it’s too expensive.
Other countries support education with tax dollars, ensuring every child with the right aptitude can attend, regardless of how much money their parents have.
Criminal Rehabilitation
Our for-profit prison system is one of the worst things about America. We have the highest prison population per capita of any developed country, and the for-profit system plays a massive role in it.
We lock people away in horrible conditions, provide few resources for rehabilitation and fewer still for assistance upon getting out, then lock them back up again when they can’t support themselves on the outside.
Denmark has a far superior model. They prioritize human rights, teach prisoners life skills, keep sentences as short as possible, and focus on helping inmates integrate into society. As a result, Denmark has a lower prison population, reduced recidivism rate, and always tops the list of happiest countries in the world.
The US Can Be the Best
The US is a fantastic country, but not perfect. Admitting the imperfections is the first step to implementing positive change, and exploring the things other countries do better can help us explore them.
Do you agree with them that the US could benefit from adopting certain systems other countries already have in place, or do you think it’s fine the way it is?
What changes would you like to see that would make America the best?