In the Biden era, and the Obama era before that, making the case for an expanded government role in America’s capitalist economy has been a priority. President Obama’s quip “you didn’t build that”, referencing how business and the private sector piggyback off government investments in infrastructure, education and research, struck both a chord and a nerve, and got to the heart of one of the country’s fundamental debates: What are the appropriate roles of government and private enterprise?
But supporters of the Biden and Obama approach should also understand the relationship between the public and private sectors is a two-way street, and the role of the private sector — or more accurately, the entrepreneurial spirit that drives it — has been underrepresented in infrastructure procurement in the United States.
In short, out of the Great Depression came a more active government to fill an economic
