At the start of Infrastructure Week, Common Good Chair Philip K. Howard called today for the United States to end its infrastructure paralysis by adopting a new framework to modernize U.S. infrastructure. This framework would replace balkanized approvals by multiple agencies and multiple levels of government with one decision-making hierarchy.
Read MoreEveryone knows that Washington is broken. Reformers on the right want to cut useless programs, and reformers on the left want to streamline rules and procedures. But neither reform approach will remove the red tape that suffocates common sense. There’s always another rule, another process needed to discuss a new issue.
Americans are harmed, not helped, by all this process.
The modern state is built on a flawed philosophy of law. Governing requires officials, not law, to make decisions.
Read MoreIn this episode, Philip Howard discusses President Biden’s proposed infrastructure plan.
Read MoreBreathtakingly ambitious: That’s how many observers describe the $2 trillion infrastructure proposal unveiled by President Biden last week. It contains scores of programs aimed at updating America’s obsolete infrastructure and addressing climate change.
Read MoreRebuilding America’s decrepit infrastructure would be a fabulous way to come out of the COVID shutdown — a million or more jobs, most of which are outdoors. How do we do that?
Read MoreIt is no secret that America’s road, rail, water, and power infrastructure systems are woefully out of date. Political leaders say they are committed to fixing it. But nothing happens.
Read MoreRebuilding America’s decrepit infrastructure requires a new permitting system. Approvals today can take a decade, sometimes longer. Delay dramatically adds to costs, and prevents projects from getting off the drawing board.
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