2/Opponents of Biden& #39;s bill are criticizing it for not being purely about roads and bridges. This is silly. https://twitter.com/MarshaBlackburn/status/1379883470491680775?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1379883470491680775%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloomberg.com%2Fopinion%2Farticles%2F2021-04-09%2Fthe-meaning-of-infrastructure-is-a-pointless-debate">https://twitter.com/MarshaBla...
3/The reason the government spends money on infrastructure is a positive externality. Roads, bridges, etc. are things that the private sector won& #39;t build enough of if left to its own devices.
4/But this same rationale applies to tons of stuff!

Take research, for example. The positive externality from research is even stronger than the one from roads!
5/Cleaning up lead has huge positive externalities. Why not call that "infrastructure" too? It& #39;s the same rationale for spending.
6/But externalities aren& #39;t the only reason for government to spend money building stuff.

For example, building housing is good because it cancels out the political power of local NIMBYs who block private-sector development.
7/And a third reason to have the government do stuff is in-kind redistribution.
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