If You Build It

The need for infrastructure improvements in the United States, where investment has been falling for decades, has never been greater. According to a 2013 report from the American Society of Civil Engineers, it would take an estimated $3.6 trillion to bring America’s transportation, utilities and flood-control structures back to acceptable levels of safety and reliability. This astute report from policy experts Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, Ryan Nunn and Greg Nantz offers a systematic approach to prioritizing, selecting and funding projects. The authors emphasize the importance of financial responsibility and impartial decision making in tackling this enormous undertaking. getAbstract recommends this timely study to officials charged with the oversight of infrastructure spending.