What countries does it make sense to compare the US to?

[politicus]

Inspired by the thread about whether the Democratic party is left wing. Which countries/regions do you think generally have enough in common with the US to make it sensible to compare social and political phenomena  between them?

[TNF]

Anglosphere + European Union and European FTA + Japan, South Korea, Taiwan

[H. Ross Peron]

First World liberal democracies 

[ElectionsGuy]

None

[Sol]

Depends on the issue. The UK, Ireland and British former settler colonies all are pretty broadly similar. In broader ways, the developed world democracies also make sense. Latin America is very similar to the U.S. in many structural ways (such as a racialized caste system) but is much less developed.

The rest depends on the specific issue of study.

6 Countries most like the U.S., ranked:
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
U.K.
South Africa
Chile

[SNJ1985]

Of the options on that list, I feel like Australia is the most similar.

[Bigby]

The democratic first world, but only broadly.

[dead0man]

None of them.  Sure, we share some things but no country (or combination of countries) comes close to us.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

The UK's numerous quirks - monarchy, heavy centralisation, lingering aristocracy, piles of arcane traditions, lack of a constitution, formed of four nations, HoL, CofE - seems to rule out the UK for the most part. The US is a "planned" country, while the UK is more of a pile of reforms bundled on top of some anachronisms.

I would argue Brazil is a reasonable enough comparison. I'm sure you can stretch analogies for every country in the world if it pleased you so

[AggregateDemand]

The US is unique in a political context. It is the only country where the elected officials actively encourage one another to be as irresponsible as possible. Other electorates often come into conflict with elected officials when they choose stringent responsibility. See: austerity.

[Person Man]

The US is unique in a political context. It is the only country where the elected officials actively encourage one another to be as irresponsible as possible. Other electorates often come into conflict with elected officials when they choose stringent responsibility. See: austerity.

And that worked wonders!

The UK's numerous quirks - monarchy, heavy centralisation, lingering aristocracy, piles of arcane traditions, lack of a constitution, formed of four nations, HoL, CofE - seems to rule out the UK for the most part. The US is a "planned" country, while the UK is more of a pile of reforms bundled on top of some anachronisms.

I would argue Brazil is a reasonable enough comparison. I'm sure you can stretch analogies for every country in the world if it pleased you so

This seems to be a good answer even though on the issues the UK seems to be pretty similar on the issues, except for Healthcare (and even this gap is narrowing). For example, the top rate in the US is 43.7% and in my state of Colorado its 49.7% and in the UK its 50%. There are also similar struggles on Civil Rights and Personhood in both countries though by a different glance they may be considered many years apart.

[Orser67]

The OECD (with maybe a few exceptions).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Development

[AggregateDemand]

And that worked wonders!

If you can't figure out how to solve a problem, borrow your way out? The situation is the same in both countries, except Congress borrows as if they have a plan.

[politicallefty]

Among the Anglosphere, there are many similarities. Obviously, there are many similarities between the US and Canada. The US/Canada relationship seems similar to the Australia/NZ relationship. On the political scale, I definitely think the US is most similar to Australia.

[Murica!]

Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany.