I know you have a noble idea of "ACCOUNTABILITY", but the fact is that the bigger a government grows, the larger the corruption. Also, not to mention that the Nordic countries are largely homogenous with a common background and heritage whereas this country is more diverse with different backgrounds.
If some state wants to become the next Sweden and pay for PhDs, child care, health care and such and tax their folks at 51 or 63% to fund it, I've got no Constitutional problem with them doing so (as long as it's not Tennessee
, although I would still strongly oppose such actions on philosophical grounds about the role of government). The Constitution forbids such shenanigans at the national level (if one is true to the idea of enumerated powers and 9th and 10th Amendments) minus any amendments granting such powers. If California wants to become Commiefornia or Kalifornia (not that they aren't already half-way there), then have at it. Just don't force it on the rest of us. The federal government should not have preeminence over the states except in very few matters. The feds exist at the will of the states and not the other way around.