I think that wide scale European socialism simply will not work in the US. We have a different history and institutions. Most every Gov program here is ripe with waste, abuse and institutional corruption. I'm sure these problems exist in Europe as well, but not to the same extent.
If you give out a large sum of gov. money for a social welfare program, the first thing that happens is influence peddling. The people placed in charge of that money have significant power now and use the money to increase their influence instead of doing their job. In a kingdom, this tendency can be controlled much easier than in a democracy, where bureaucrats are almost untouchable.
My hypothesis is that since many European governments are former kingdoms that have democratized, that a different culture existed within bureaucracies. Because kings would lay the smack down on a minister that wasn't doing their job, a culture of accountability emerged that never made it to the US.
OK, this idea occurred to me a 4:00 am when I couldn't sleep, so haw far off the mark am I??