Potholes and Promises: Navigating America’s Infrastructure Rollercoaster
The Blueprint Behind the 2024 Election
The 2024 presidential election is poised to be a defining moment in American history already marked by a series of unprecedented events. The election has seen the incumbent, President Biden drop out of the race and former President Trump surviving an assaination attempt. The race is now at a gridlock between the two major candidates; Vice President Harris and former President Trump. The crossroad between both candidates come against a backdrop of a highly divisive political climate with both candidates engaged in personal attacks and polarized rhetoric. In a recent Marist National Poll, 47% of Americans believe the U.S. could erupt into a second civil war within their lifetime. Former President Trump has repeatedly attacked Vice President Harris’s record, labeling her a “radical left lunatic” and has stated “it will be a bloodbath for the whole country if I am not elected”. Vice President Harris has criticized former President Trump’s character, stating during a campaign speech, "I took on perpetrators of all kinds, predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So trust me when I say I know Donald Trump’s type.” While personal attack lines might make for great sound bites in the media, they will not fix the core issues facing the American people. Looking past the noise on who can deliver the best punch line, the critical question of this election should be which candidate has the best policy platform to address the core issues facing the country and can deliver results.
Spotlight on the Crumbling Infrastructure Across the United States
As President Kennedy once said ““American roads are not good because America is rich, but America is rich because American roads are good”. In essence, the success of every country’s economy relies upon the quality of its national infrastructure. Since 1900, the U.S. has been the world’s wealthiest country by GDP and the country is today at a critical fork in the road when it comes to infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers, in their annual report card, has given the U.S. a D or D-plus for infrastructure from 1998 until 2021, when the U.S. received a C-minus. Across the country, core pieces of infrastructure are deteriorating and severely impact the day-to-day lives of the American people and the U.S. economy. For instance, over 40% of road systems in the U.S. are now in poor or mediocre condition. Flight delays caused by an air traffic system unable to handle the volume of flights cost the economy $33 billion in 2019 according to the Federal Aviation Administration. At least 186 million people drink from water systems that detected lead levels exceeding 1 part per billion, the level recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. As the quality of infrastructure deteriorates across the country, the mounting costs are being paid at the expense of both the financial stability and physical well-being of the American people.
Why Should Voters Treat Infrastructure as a Critical Issue?
In a YouGov poll conducted in July 2024, the top three issues for voters were inflation/prices (25%), immigration (11%), and healthcare (10%). Infrastructure was not included in the list which raises the question; why should the American people treat infrastructure as a critical issue in this election? The decline of infrastructure is closely linked to the rising cost of living, a core symptom of inflation/prices, which is the top issue for voters. For instance, poor road conditions can cost Americans more than $500 in annual vehicle repairs, all while 63% of workers are unable to pay for a $500 emergency expense. Exposure to lead caused by contaminants in drinking water can lead to health issues such as increased blood pressure, decreased kidney function, and cardiovascular effects, all while 51% of working-age Americans struggle to afford their healthcare. The financial strain many Americans already face can only be exacerbated by the economic cost caused by the country’s declining infrastructure.
Declining infrastructure is also impeding the economic growth of the U.S., while other countries invest in their national infrastructure. The infrastructure investment gap could cost the U.S. $10 trillion in GDP, 3 million jobs, and $2.3 trillion in exports by 2039. Compared to other countries, the U.S. spends less on infrastructure than its G7 counterparts, particularly its largest geopolitical rival, the People's Republic of China. If the American people want to continue being the world’s largest economic superpower, it is clear that investments in infrastructure must increase, or else the U.S. will be left behind while other countries move ahead.
The Once Shining City on a Hill
There once was a time when the U.S. was a world leader in infrastructure investments. Prior to the Second World War, President Roosevelt signed the New Deal, which spurred major infrastructure projects. The Works Progress Administration (WPA), created under the New Deal, was responsible for key projects like the Hoover Dam, LaGuardia Airport, and the Lincoln Tunnel. Overall, the work of the WPA was the catalyst that built the U.S., employing over 8.5 million people from 1935-1943 and resulting in 650,000 miles of roads, 125,000 public buildings, 75,000 bridges, 8,000 parks, and 800 airports. After the Second World War, President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act, which expanded the Interstate Highway System. As a result of the act, 41,000 miles of additional highways were constructed, helping to connect cities and states. Since the signing of the Federal-Aid Highway Act, infrastructure spending has declined as a share of federal spending.
President Biden’s Historic Infrastructure Investment
On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) into law, creating a once-in-a-generation investment in U.S. infrastructure and transportation. IIJA authorizes a total of $1.2 trillion, of which $650 billion is allocated for baseline spending (money the government already planned to spend), and $550 billion for new investments and programs. Within the funding allocated for new investments and projects, $111 billion is designated for roads, bridges, and major projects; $79 billion for power and grid; $66 billion for passenger and freight rail; $65 billion for broadband; $48 billion for water infrastructure; and billions for other sectors. During President Biden’s term, the IIJA has made progress toward its goal of rebuilding infrastructure and creating jobs. Some key achievements include improvements and repairs on over 165,000 miles of roads and 9,400 bridges, funding to replace up to 1.7 million toxic lead pipes, and access to free or discounted high-speed internet for over 23 million low-income households. In particular, the legislation will seek to protect and improve supply chains by repairing roads and bridges, investing in ports and airports and making infrastructure resilient to climate change and extreme weather. The Economic Policy Institute estimated that the legislation will support 196,000 jobs each year for roads and bridges, as well as over 26,000 jobs for airport upgrades and over 23,000 jobs associated with ports and waterways.
While the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) has brought hope for the renewal of American infrastructure, its success and implementation is still too early to evaluate. As of May 13th, 2024, the White House has announced that nearly $454 billion has been awarded which represents less than half of the total funding authorized under IIJA. The funding under IIJA is set to expire in 2026 which brings a race against the clock to approve the funding of future infrastructure projects. Beyond just the ticking clock, the pathway towards the projects approved under IIJA will take time to materialize likely beyond 2026, and face a pathway filled with bureaucratic potholes, project delays, budgeting overspending, and other potential roadblocks towards construction.
Outlook on the 2024 Presidential Election
While both presidential candidates share similarities in their choice to engage in personal attacks, their position on policy lies on opposite ends of the track. Former President Trump campaigned during the 2016 presidential election that he would make infrastructure a priority and said in an interview on the Fox Business Network, “We have a great plan and we are going to rebuild our infrastructure”. During his first term, he failed to pass a trillion dollar infrastructure plan with multiple “infrastructure weeks” amounting to zero progress. If the former president were to be elected for a second term, it is unlikely that he would address infrastructure as in the 2024 Republican National Committee Platform, there is a brief mention to “rebuild our cities” without any legislative and fiscal detail to outline how he seeks to rebuild infrastructure across the country. Instead, he may possibly seek to reverse the policies of his successor and predecessors both on the foreign and homefront. He has stated he would not defend NATO Members if they do not meet defense spending targets and encouraged Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” while also flirting with the idea of impounding spending to rein in the ballooning federal deficit which could halt the progress of IIJA.
When it comes to infrastructure, Vice President Harris will most likely carry on the legislation’s progress if she were to be elected president. The 2024 Democratic Party Platform reaffirms the progress IIJA has made and the future impact the legislative will have on American infrastructure. What remains to be unknown is the difference between how the Vice President will campaign and govern. The 2024 Democratic Party Platform is written more like a playbook for how President Biden would govern, and utilizes language like “In a second term, President Biden would”. With the election less than 80 days away, the question remains how much do the American people really know Vice President Harris, and how she intends to govern? In 2019, then presidential candidate Senator Harris came out in favor of banning fracking to which now her campaign has insisted she does not want to ban fracking. Another key question will be whether the Vice President will seek to push investments into renewable energy further, as during her tenure in the Senate, she co-sponsored the Green New Deal, a resolution stressing climate change action. In all, only time will tell how each candidate would govern in contrast to how they campaign when the next president takes the keys to the Oval Office on January 20th, 2025.
The Final Choice to Turn Left or Right on Election Day
As both candidates travel across the country to convince the American people they should be the 47th President of the United States, the spotlight should be on their policy platforms and how they plan to address the core issues important to voters. Modern political campaigns have descended into a contest on who can smear their opponent the best, and not who can paint and deliver a brighter future in the best interest of the American people. The crumbling infrastructure across the country and its strain on the economy, along with its relation to the cost of living, should serve as a blaring siren to the American people and politicians that it is a critical issue to address in this coming election cycle. While President Biden has made historic progress on infrastructure, his name will not be on the ticket, instead, it will be his Vice President, Kamala Harris. It is still uncertain whether the progress made under the IIJA will be enough to convince voters to elect Vice President Harris and make her the first female president. However, polls and commentary from political pundits will try to paint a picture on how the 2024 election will shape up, but their insights only offer a snapshot of this election cycle. Ultimately, it will be up to the American people on November 5th to decide their future and whether they want former President Trump to make America great again, or for Vice President Harris to build back better.