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.
Transportation
Interstate Transportation
America is a vast country with large populations on both coasts. Twice in our history, the federal government has stepped forward to connect the coasts: with the building of the transcontinental railroads and, a century later, through the interstate highway system. Both were enormous undertakings that brought economic benefits to all Americans. No private company or collection of companies could have managed either of these tasks on its own. If you’re looking for a textbook case of why we need government, here it is.