[dabiged]

Not from North America. But I disagree that the exceptionalism started post WWII.

How do you explain the country's ability to perform civil engineering feats prior to WWII. The Erie Canal, Trans-continental Railway, Panama Canal, Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building and Golden Gate Bridge spring to mind as feats of engineering that few other country's (if any) could rival. There are obvious examples post WWII (Manhattan project, Apollo program, Interstate highway system), but for all of the USA's pitfalls, they do have an incredible history of civil engineering projects prior to WWII.

[yurishimo]

The US shifted their focus from domestic to international politics after WWII. They were brought in as arbitrators for world peace, and in a lot of ways, stepped up to the task. Military expansion and spending went through the roof and the Cold War and Vietnam didn't help build public trust in government to do big things at home. Behind the scenes though, politicians could work with other nations to organize the reality that we all live in today in the West. Later, politicians began organising free trade and technology became the next frontier. Why spend hundreds of millions on a bridge when I can send an email instead of a letter? The USA really is a "marvel" in the fact that most of her problems were caused and exacerbated by success and enough competent people in power to keep things moving.

It's hard to discuss the United States without mentioning Trump who believes that undermining the past 100 years of Neoliberalism will bring America back to her "glory days" while completely ignoring the reality on the ground that led from where they were then to where America is today.

So maybe there will be more public works projects in the future for America, but I fear that they will be more focused on appeasing dear leader instead of meaningfully improving the lives of the average American citizen. But until someone turns on the lights and shuts off the music, America will continue to spiral and cry about "unfairness" while her created reality crumbles due to lack of maintenance and care about the subtle realities on the ground that were once central to her rise in the first place.