I'd add to Bill's list stuff like the culture and heritage of a Country. What are the inhabitants like? Unfriendly and narrow-minded?
I'd pay higher taxes for less crime, more peaceful environment. It's not just about how less tax you pay as to what's done with it. I'm fine with contributing to make a Society a better place. You can have many fine points in a Country but somewhere could just be dull and boring to live too.
I don't think that Countries that are deemed "Socialist" are necessarily bad - I've worked in Germany and it seems a well developed, pleasant, well sorted place to me. Scandinavia too. And again the UK is essentially a Socialist based Country (although, in detail, it's a lot more complicated with the concept of "New Labour") but in practice it doesn't feel
that different to the US. However, on paper it really is. Plus, I find the US to be very expensive in big Cities - beware London is too - Taxes coupled with medical insurance have been very expensive for me as I'm basically self employed. In the UK Taxes vary a lot but are quite average (unless you a real high, high earner) and medical care is 4% of earnings and free to unemployed/needy folk. Emergency care is free too, in case your there, PrerYDoG -same goes for almost the rest of Europe. But the UK has a lot of faults and unemployment (which is getting better), there's better places to look at....but you should check out the UK.
There's no substitute for real experience rather than subjective recounts of what one has read about or heard - or based on the narrow minded view of "where I live is best", without any experience of living anywhere else.
You got to travel, PrerYDoG. There's some great places out there....
------------------
'75 911S Targa
'81 BMW Alpina C1 2.3