Finance & economics | Political economy

Governments are bigger than ever. They are also more useless

Why voters across the rich world are miserable

 illustration shows a giant, deflated U.S. Capitol dome lying on its side. A small man is using a pump to try to inflate it. The background is orange with a couple of clouds
Illustration: Lehel Kovács
|San Francisco

You may sense that governments are not as competent as they once were. Upon entering the White House in 2021, President Joe Biden promised to revitalise American infrastructure. In fact, spending on things like roads and rail has fallen. A flagship plan to expand access to fast broadband for rural Americans has so far helped precisely no one. Britain’s National Health Service soaks up ever more money, and provides ever worse care. Germany mothballed its last three nuclear plants last year, despite uncertain energy supplies. The country’s trains, once a source of national pride, are now often late.

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This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Lumbering Leviathans”

From the September 28th 2024 edition

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