* The existence of Altinn, which has no equivalent in any other country, as far as I know
* Everyone has a personal ID number and the number is not secret (it's printed on the front of all forms of ID, including student cards), so it can actually be used for stuff
* The existence of numerous national online databases like Folkeregistret and the vehicle insurance database, which ensures doctors, banks and insurance companies have real-time information about you, given only your personal ID number. You don't need to fill out forms everywhere, or provide the same information to several agencies (e.g. both DMV, IRS and your bank)
* Bank account numbers are not only not secret, but safe to publish on the Internet, and wire transfers are free. In US, domestic wire transfers cost $15-$25!
* Contracts for payments can be enforced, so there's no need for a credit score system other than the "yes/no: have paid all bills" database
Of course health care is an incredibly contentious topic but I was struck by the sheer waste and cruelty of the system when I read of the story of a 24 year old man that died because of a tooth infection.
He went to the pharmacy with two prescriptions, an antibiotic and a pain killer.
Lacking the money for the higher priced antibiotics he only filled the pain killer prescription. He died from that infection.
Society spent at least $7000 per year for 12 years to educate this young man and we let him die for lack of $70 for a prescription. Even if you feel no empathy and discount national shame this is an example of breath taking irrational economic waste.
Until the oil runs out. Our economy is so definitely not self-sustainable as things are now if you take away the oil, and we have a government-sector which (depending on who you ask) is around 10x bigger than it needs to be.
I'm a Norwegian, I'm having a good life now, but looking at how utterly mismanaged and inefficient everything governmental is in this country, I'm seriously wondering how this will end up by the time I get old.