Infrastructure is the backbone of America. A reliable infrastructure is critical to a community’s well-being, and it is an investment that serves all citizens, not just a select few. Infrastructure should be seen as a great equalizer, and our government—local, state, and federal—must continue to invest in its infrastructure for its people.
What is Infrastructure?
Infrastructure refers to public investments that help move people, energy, and goods from one location to another.
Infrastructure can be anything that improves a community and serves all people. For example:
- Roads and bridges
- Highways and interstates
- Coastal and inland waterways
- Ports and terminals
- Railroad networks
- Airports and runways
- Levees, dams, and reservoirs
- Telephone, fiber, and electrical lines
- Water, sewer, and gas pipelines
- Parks and greenways
- Post offices
- Water and sewer treatment facilities
- Landfills
- Schools, libraries, and other public buildings
Infrastructure in the United States
Fifty years ago, America led the world in infrastructure investment. We built the greatest nation on the planet, and we did it in such a way that everyone benefited from this public investment.
In 2021, however, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave America a C- in overall infrastructure and noted that it will take $2 trillion over the next decade to improve our infrastructure and to enhance the overall economic stability of our nation.
↪ Did You Know? America ranks 12th among 138 nations when it comes to infrastructure quality and investment.
Why must America invest in its infrastructure? Because when infrastructure fails, the results are catastrophic. There have been hundreds of news stories about bridges collapsing, levees and dams breaking, roadways crumbling, water systems failing, broadband not meeting the needs of Americans, and sewer systems spilling into water reservoirs. All of this matters: it not only affects the physical health and well-being of our communities, but it hinders our ability to grow and prosper.
What Does the Future Hold for American Infrastructure?
America has become politically polarized, and there are very few issues that both political parties can agree upon. However, infrastructure should be a non-political issue. In 2023, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law made great steps toward funding repairs to America’s infrastructure (including a $109 million grant for improvements to the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System). Our local, state, and federal elected officials and policymakers must continue to set aside their differences and invest in America so that we can once again lead the world in infrastructure investment.
