Wherever possible, the proposal and development of infrastructure should be left to the market. Roads should be laid and bridges built by private consortiums that issue bonds and repay them by collecting tolls. Sewer systems should be built by the same developer who creates new suburbs, so they are paid for in the price of the homes he builds. Water supply and sewage treatment should be provided by private companies that compete against each other, if not for individual houses, then at least for contracts awarded by the residents of the streets that use their services.

This article is an extract from the book ‘Principles of Good Government’ by Matthew Bransgrove