Concerns about the nation's infrastructure and its ability to support commerce and promote public well-being have prompted calls for greater infrastructure spending. In response to a request from the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Finance, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) prepared this study, which analyzes recent developments in spending on transportation and water infrastructure, trends in spending for capital and for operations and maintenance by the various levels of government, and the rationale for public spending on infrastructure. This study updates a 2007 report, Trends in public spending on transportation and water infrastructure, 1956 to 2004--Preface.
"Policy-makers often call for expanding public spending on infrastructure, which includes a broad range of investments from roads and bridges to digital networks that will expand access to high-speed broadband. Some point to near-term macro-economic benefits and job creation, others focus on long-term effects on productivity and economic growth. This volume explores the links between infrastructure spending and economic outcomes, as well as key economic issues in the funding and management of infrastructure projects. It draws together research studies that describe the short-run stimulus effects of infrastructure spending, develop new estimates of the stock of U.S. infrastructure capital, and explore the incentive aspects of public-private partnerships (PPPs). A salient issue is the treatment of risk in evaluating publicly-funded infrastructure projects and in connection with PPPs. The goal of the volume is to provide a reference for researchers seeking to expand research on infrastructure issues, and for policy-makers tasked with determining the appropriate level of infrastructure spending"--
Concerns about the nation's infrastructure and its ability to support commerce and promote public well-being have prompted calls for greater infrastructure spending. In response to a request from the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Finance, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) prepared this study, which analyzes recent developments in spending on transportation and water infrastructure, trends in spending for capital and for operations and maintenance by the various levels of government, and the rationale for public spending on infrastructure. This study updates a 2007 report, Trends in public spending on transportation and water infrastructure, 1956 to 2004--Preface.
This long-term examination of future infrastructure needs examines what will be required, how it will be financed, and how such factors as climate change, globalisation, and urbanisation will affect these needs.
The federal government wastes your tax dollars worse than a drunken sailor on shore leave. The 1984 Grace Commission uncovered that the Department of Defense spent $640 for a toilet seat and $436 for a hammer. Twenty years later things weren't much better. In 2004, Congress spent a record-breaking $22.9 billion dollars of your money on 10,656 of their pork-barrel projects. The war on terror has a lot to do with the record $413 billion in deficit spending, but it's also the result of pork over the last 18 years the likes of: - $50 million for an indoor rain forest in Iowa - $102 million to study screwworms which were long ago eradicated from American soil - $273,000 to combat goth culture in Missouri - $2.2 million to renovate the North Pole (Lucky for Santa!) - $50,000 for a tattoo removal program in California - $1 million for ornamental fish research Funny in some instances and jaw-droppingly stupid and wasteful in others, The Pig Book proves one thing about Capitol Hill: pork is king!
Public spending -- spending by federal, state, and local governments -- on transportation and water infrastructure totaled $416 billion in 2014. Most of that spending came from state and local governments. They provided $320 billion, and the federal government accounted for $96 billion. This report provides information on spending for six types of transportation and water infrastructure: highways, mass transit and rail, aviation, water transportation, water resources, and water utilities. It shows that public spending on transportation and water infrastructure has been a fairly constant share of economic activity for 30 years; and prices of materials and other inputs used for transportation and water infrastructure began to rise rapidly in 2003. Figures. This is a print on demand report.
Infrastructure is essential for development. This report presents a snapshot of the current condition of developing Asia's infrastructure---defined here as transport, power, telecommunications, and water supply and sanitation. It examines how much the region has been investing in infrastructure and what will likely be needed through 2030. Finally, it analyzes the financial and institutional challenges that will shape future infrastructure investment and development.
World Development Report 1994 examines the link between infrastructure and development and explores ways in which developing countries can improve both the provision and the quality of infrastructure services. In recent decades, developing countries have made substantial investments in infrastructure, achieving dramatic gains for households and producers by expanding their access to services such as safe water, sanitation, electric power, telecommunications, and transport. Even more infrastructure investment and expansion are needed in order to extend the reach of services - especially to people living in rural areas and to the poor. But as this report shows, the quantity of investment cannot be the exclusive focus of policy. Improving the quality of infrastructure service also is vital. Both quantity and quality improvements are essential to modernize and diversify production, help countries compete internationally, and accommodate rapid urbanization. The report identifies the basic cause of poor past performance as inadequate institutional incentives for improving the provision of infrastructure. To promote more efficient and responsive service delivery, incentives need to be changed through commercial management, competition, and user involvement. Several trends are helping to improve the performance of infrastructure. First, innovation in technology and in the regulatory management of markets makes more diversity possible in the supply of services. Second, an evaluation of the role of government is leading to a shift from direct government provision of services to increasing private sector provision and recent experience in many countries with public-private partnerships is highlighting new ways to increase efficiency and expand services. Third, increased concern about social and environmental sustainability has heightened public interest in infrastructure design and performance.
