Why Does America Pay More For Infrastructure?

About this episode

Leah Brooks discusses the reasons behind the high costs of infrastructure in the U.S. compared to other countries.

We're off this week for a much-needed spring break, but we wanted to re-share this episode that feels more relevant than ever. Infrastructure in the U.S. now costs dramatically more than in countries like Germany or Croatia—without clear signs of higher quality or better environmental outcomes. Why has infrastructure spending spiraled out of control? Could democracy itself—through litigation, regulations, and empowered citizen voices—be driving costs sky-high? George Washington University Professor of Public Policy Leah Brooks investigates why the U.S. pays so much more per mile of highway compared to other nations in her paper “Infrastructure Costs”. Brooks reveals shocking findings: from the late 1960s onward, the cost to build highways in America surged dramatically, not because of higher wages or materials, but because of legal battles, environmental reviews, and citizen demands.

People in this episode

Guest: Leah Brooks

Topics covered

• infrastructure
• cost analysis
• public policy
• democracy
• environmental outcomes

Keywords

• infrastructure costs
• highway construction
• public policy
• legal battles
• environmental reviews

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: George Washington University

Places: United States, Germany, Croatia

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