Here, @ezraklein suggests that the US' lack of ability to "build" writ broadly is caused by a "vetocracy" that gives everyone—from Congress to the Supreme Court to homeowners—a veto over decisionmaking. There's a lot of useful insight here. https://www.vox.com/2020/4/22/21228469/marc-andreessen-build-government-coronavirus

That said, at least in terms of infrastructure, I think @ezraklein is pointing in the wrong direction to some degree.

We actually *do* spend a massive amount on infrastructure, and we *do* build a lot. It's just that we're doing things like investing in airports and highways.

You've got to ask—why is it that this "vetocracy" applies to high-speed rail & transit, but not to airports & highways?

That's where the article falls apart. The reason why the US can't "build" [the things that Klein wants] is the ideology of people in power, not veto points.

Yes, our institutions are broken & veto points probably too strong. But we need a better politics & stronger ideological stands taken by people running for office.

Conservative ideology is why we're not building social health care & high-speed rail, not veto points.

This is a case in point. Any US governor could order that state roads & highways *they control* be retrofitted to install cycling lanes. But they don't. Not because of veto points, but because of a dominant conservative ideology in the US. https://twitter.com/yfreemark/status/1252941344424763392