Ezra Klein

Why does that cost more than market rate housing per square foot in California? Why is it much more than it costs in Texas? All these rules, the government has placed upon itself. They add delay and they add cost, which if it all then got done would be fine. But sometimes like in high speed rail in California, it doesn't.

Why does that cost more than market rate housing per square foot in California? Why is it much more than it costs in Texas? All these rules, the government has placed upon itself. They add delay and they add cost, which if it all then got done would be fine. But sometimes like in high speed rail in California, it doesn't.

How do you think about the cost of construction in a place like San Francisco?

How do you think about the cost of construction in a place like San Francisco?

I think it is underappreciated how differently Europe does government. than America. We took a pretty different path from countries that I think we imagined to be similar. People often say, well, of course you can't build subways in New York City. It's a big old city now. But they do it in Paris, which is an older city.

I think it is underappreciated how differently Europe does government. than America. We took a pretty different path from countries that I think we imagined to be similar. People often say, well, of course you can't build subways in New York City. It's a big old city now. But they do it in Paris, which is an older city.

And I always say, I say it in the book, the difference can't be unions because these countries have higher union density than America does. It is a difference in the way the government acts and approaches. Do you have a view on sort of what the key differences are, but more the point why America and Europe are took such different pathways in the back half of the 20th century.

And I always say, I say it in the book, the difference can't be unions because these countries have higher union density than America does. It is a difference in the way the government acts and approaches. Do you have a view on sort of what the key differences are, but more the point why America and Europe are took such different pathways in the back half of the 20th century.

I think it has been more recent that there's a sort of appreciation that something has gone wrong. It's like these examples have stacked up, the Big Dig, the Second Avenue subway, high-speed rail.

I think it has been more recent that there's a sort of appreciation that something has gone wrong. It's like these examples have stacked up, the Big Dig, the Second Avenue subway, high-speed rail.

And I mean, it takes time to realize you've gotten into a hole.

And I mean, it takes time to realize you've gotten into a hole.

One of the things I am trying to do in the book and in my reporting across these domains, because look, rural broadband is different than Second Avenue subway. Second Avenue subway is different than high-speed rail. High-speed rail is different than building housing. You sort of go down the line. They're all different. Each unhappy policy is unhappy in its own way, to paraphrase Tolstoy.

One of the things I am trying to do in the book and in my reporting across these domains, because look, rural broadband is different than Second Avenue subway. Second Avenue subway is different than high-speed rail. High-speed rail is different than building housing. You sort of go down the line. They're all different. Each unhappy policy is unhappy in its own way, to paraphrase Tolstoy.

But one thing that I think about is the centralization versus a fracturing of power. Now, I don't disagree with you that oftentimes you'll dig into one of these things and you will find a lot of corporate power acting. ISPs in the world, broadband example. And look, you're building high-speed rail. You're building a Second Avenue subway.

But one thing that I think about is the centralization versus a fracturing of power. Now, I don't disagree with you that oftentimes you'll dig into one of these things and you will find a lot of corporate power acting. ISPs in the world, broadband example. And look, you're building high-speed rail. You're building a Second Avenue subway.

You are inconveniencing all kinds of not just big businesses, but small ones. And that matters, right? I mean, I was covering this part of High Speed Rail. They spent years in litigation with a small mini storage facility that just didn't want to be moved. It's totally reasonable that that storage facility didn't want to be moved. In Europe, they move the storage facility, right?

You are inconveniencing all kinds of not just big businesses, but small ones. And that matters, right? I mean, I was covering this part of High Speed Rail. They spent years in litigation with a small mini storage facility that just didn't want to be moved. It's totally reasonable that that storage facility didn't want to be moved. In Europe, they move the storage facility, right?

They just have different laws around that kind of thing. But one thing that I have been fascinated by and that sort of led to some of the inquiry for me Was that innovation you're talking about? Yes. How many politicians I talked to, and they would not all describe it to me as about corporate power, but they do describe it as there's a thing they want to do.

They just have different laws around that kind of thing. But one thing that I have been fascinated by and that sort of led to some of the inquiry for me Was that innovation you're talking about? Yes. How many politicians I talked to, and they would not all describe it to me as about corporate power, but they do describe it as there's a thing they want to do.