With few exceptions, every time you travel on a street, road, or highway, you are on something built and maintained by a government. These are enormously expensive and land-hungry investments, but without them, modern life and a modern economy would be impossible. So, next time you walk, bike, or drive on a city street—or catch a bus to work—give some credit to government for making your journey possible.
Cities
Public Health and Disease Control
If you’ve never had tuberculosis, smallpox, or polio, if you live in a healthier environment than your great-grandparents could ever have imagined, if you have reasonable hopes for vaccines for AIDS and Covid-19, you can thank government for these things.
Waste Disposal and Public Sanitation
If you have never had to use an outhouse, walk ankle-deep in garbage, or endure incredible stench, you can thank local governments that created massive sewer systems, bought landfills and built incinerators, and fielded an army of sanitation workers to make our lives healthier.