ipl-logo

The Federal Highway Act Of 1956: A Policy Analysis

616 Words3 Pages

Our nation’s highways are a critical circulatory system to our nation’s transit structure. Motorists on today’s highways are capable of reaching far locations without the hassle of navigating short routes through developed areas. High volumes of traffic, low speed restrictions as well as impractical routes of traveling off the national highway grid further emphasize its necessity to our country. The future of our nation’s growth depended on an efficient means of modern transportation, and the automotive industry was shaping up to be that answer. The benefits to the country proved boundless, furthermore the project put citizens across America to work. Despite the initial cost authorized, the investment proved a success by bringing the nation up to speed on transportation. …show more content…

Dwight D. Eisenhower at the time served as our United States President, his vision for how important the nation’s highways required attention lead to the policy which funded the Interstate project. Initially it began as a “client politics focus by providing subsidies to the highway lobby” (Dilger, 2003). This in essence spread the cost to many different groups which in turn kept the brunt of the bill off the mind of tax paying Americans, furthermore it created jobs!
Funding our nation’s interstates required backing from both the federal as well as civilian sector. The popularity of convenient travel fostered popularity amongst tax payers. Like any expenditure, it’s no surprise that citizens wear tired of funding something out of their own pockets via tax dollars. “The initial funding of $175 million was a great start however President Nixon pushed the budget to a staggering $50 billion for a 10 year span” (Weingroff, 1996). The growing cost over the next few decades began to wear people’s popularity

Open Document