Highway Heist: America's Crumbling Infrastructure and the Road Forward
In this eye-opening book, Professor James Bennett guides readers through centuries of one of the most underrated yet widely used aspects of American life—roads.

Relying on history and economic data—and with a humorous and oftentimes sharp tongue—Bennett explains how important America’s highways and byways have been to everything from policymaking to everyday life.

Crafting America’s roads took persuasion, planning—and more taxes than any politician could have dreamed of. And far too often their realization, thanks, in Bennett’s view, to flawed interpretations of the power of eminent domain, required destruction, sometimes on a massive scale, of long-established neighborhoods and important cityscapes.

Likewise, the upkeep of America’s highways has been the center of many a policy battle, waged by Republicans and Democrats alike.

Yes, we all want roads in good working condition—but just how and who will pay for them remain contentious questions.

Bennett argues persuasively that the road forward just might be a second, but more serious, sustained look at, and local experimentation with, private roads and toll roads.

Agree or disagree with him, Bennett has written a significant contribution to America’s ongoing debate about how her citizens should traverse, from “sea to shining sea,” its fruited plain. 

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Highway Heist: America's Crumbling Infrastructure and the Road Forward
In this eye-opening book, Professor James Bennett guides readers through centuries of one of the most underrated yet widely used aspects of American life—roads.

Relying on history and economic data—and with a humorous and oftentimes sharp tongue—Bennett explains how important America’s highways and byways have been to everything from policymaking to everyday life.

Crafting America’s roads took persuasion, planning—and more taxes than any politician could have dreamed of. And far too often their realization, thanks, in Bennett’s view, to flawed interpretations of the power of eminent domain, required destruction, sometimes on a massive scale, of long-established neighborhoods and important cityscapes.

Likewise, the upkeep of America’s highways has been the center of many a policy battle, waged by Republicans and Democrats alike.

Yes, we all want roads in good working condition—but just how and who will pay for them remain contentious questions.

Bennett argues persuasively that the road forward just might be a second, but more serious, sustained look at, and local experimentation with, private roads and toll roads.

Agree or disagree with him, Bennett has written a significant contribution to America’s ongoing debate about how her citizens should traverse, from “sea to shining sea,” its fruited plain. 

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Highway Heist: America's Crumbling Infrastructure and the Road Forward

Highway Heist: America's Crumbling Infrastructure and the Road Forward

by James T. Bennett
Highway Heist: America's Crumbling Infrastructure and the Road Forward

Highway Heist: America's Crumbling Infrastructure and the Road Forward

by James T. Bennett

Hardcover

$26.95 
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Overview

In this eye-opening book, Professor James Bennett guides readers through centuries of one of the most underrated yet widely used aspects of American life—roads.

Relying on history and economic data—and with a humorous and oftentimes sharp tongue—Bennett explains how important America’s highways and byways have been to everything from policymaking to everyday life.

Crafting America’s roads took persuasion, planning—and more taxes than any politician could have dreamed of. And far too often their realization, thanks, in Bennett’s view, to flawed interpretations of the power of eminent domain, required destruction, sometimes on a massive scale, of long-established neighborhoods and important cityscapes.

Likewise, the upkeep of America’s highways has been the center of many a policy battle, waged by Republicans and Democrats alike.

Yes, we all want roads in good working condition—but just how and who will pay for them remain contentious questions.

Bennett argues persuasively that the road forward just might be a second, but more serious, sustained look at, and local experimentation with, private roads and toll roads.

Agree or disagree with him, Bennett has written a significant contribution to America’s ongoing debate about how her citizens should traverse, from “sea to shining sea,” its fruited plain. 


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781598133448
Publisher: Independent Institute, The
Publication date: 10/03/2022
Pages: 320
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

One of the nation’s foremost experts on the economics of government and bureaucracy, government spending, and labor unions, James T. Bennett holds the William P. Snavely Chair of Political Economy and Public Policy in the Department of Economics at George Mason University. A Research Fellow at the Independent Institute, Dr. Bennett received his Ph.D. in economics from Case Western Reserve University.

Table of Contents

I. Internal—or Infernal?—Improvements: A New Nation Confronts Infrastructure 2. Good Roads—or Here come the Wheelmen! 3. Ike's Autobahn: The National System of Interstate and Defense Highways 4. We're Not Going to Take It Anymore: Americans Revolt against the Freeway 5. Crumbling Infrastructure of Focus-Group Buzzwords?
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