What role does government play in small business?
The United States DOES NOT have a free market economy. We actually have what is known as a mixed economy. The government (public sector) works hand and hand with businesses (private sector) to make us successful. It's too complicated to really explain, but I'll sum it up like this. Without the government providing (or guaranteeing) loans for small businesses through the SBA, how many businesses would even get a loan? Most banks would deny them. Without infrastructure, how many businesses would survive? UPS, FedEX, etc are lobbying hard for the government to invest in infrastructure, because if the roads and airports are poor, their business dies, and so does many other small businesses. Most products are still shipped by trucks. It's just way too much stuff to get into, like I said. Think of the government as the playing field. Without the government doing what it does, business would have a very hard time. Don't believe me? Why don't you see any Microsoft's in Nigeria?
Who builds and maintains most well traveled roads?
Define "well traveled." The Federal budget for Transportation in 2011 has $42 BILLION in it for highway funding alone. P.S. The Dept. of Interior IS part of the Federal Government. Not a very well posed question.... but the answer is the Federal Government (Dept. of Transportation). In other words.... STATES actually contract with private companies to do the actual work.... but most of the money comes from Washington D.C.
Why Are Governments Necessary?
I'm writing my first essay of the year and the question is Why Are Governments Necessary. In an essay you're supposed to have more than one points to explain, but all I can think of is chaos. Can anyone help me to branch that out a bit?
Why is the government unable to maintain and build sufficient infrastructure?
one thing to keep in mind is that we put more demand on our infrastructure now than we did then. we have more vehicles, with more weight traveling more often on the roads. thats alot of stress to break them down faster. --not too mention the other day i saw dude just stabbing the road in front of his house with a big metal pole wtf?--- federal money for road work is also the one funding that gets used the most to get states to "fall in line" with federal policies, "oh your drinking age is still not 21, well ok, your right, but you know, there just isn't as much highway funding for you this year, sorry." that sort of thing, to use an old example. infrastructure, perhaps due to its constant need to be repaired is also one area that attracts alot of corruption which no doubt soaks up a fair amount of the needed funds. as for the hospital bit, medical costs have risen, new technology, lots of things that lead to an increase in cost to run and complicate it. but now that everything is established too its harder to build or maintain a road without throwing lots of people off and backing things up, blocking a lane is much more disrupting now than it was when roads were first being built. and to build new train/marta lines or roads or bridges require the city to acquire the new land that is needed, demolish what might be there, etc etc.... infrastructure is huge, and while i agree with you in large, and would like to see much of it revamped...it does seem to be quite an undertaking.
What are the largest cities or towns without travelable road access?
In other words, are there any towns/cities that are not connected to a passable road network? Such towns would be only accessible by trail, air, rail or water.