Bumpy Roads & Better Government

Ed Glaeser, a Harvard economist specializing in cities and infrastructure, emphasizes the importance of everyday infrastructure, such as road quality, in improving the daily lives of millions.

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Using vertical acceleration data from Uber rides, Glaeser quantifies the costs of bumpy roads, revealing significant disparities in infrastructure quality across different neighborhoods. He argues that enhancing basic services and focusing on better governance can lead to substantial improvements in public welfare, moving beyond the debate of bigger versus smaller government to more effective governance.

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