This sort of suggestion is usually countered by pointing out how big/unique/different the US is, hence things that work everywhere else in the world just won't cut it.

Which I understand to an extent, but often it sounds more like a cop-out than an actual analysis of the situation.

Which one? And before you answer, you must choose a model from a country with similar demographics to the US. Saying Japan's or Sweden's model works for them isn't going to do us much good.