We built the Golden Gate Bridge, Hoover Dam, and electrified the upper south in 3-4 years in the 1930s.
"We absolutely could not do that today,” says Francis Fukuyama.

Does America Need a Deeper State to Save It? A Conversation with Tyler Cowen and Francis Fukuyama
Two of the foremost thinkers of our time debate whether America has enough 'state capacity' for effective governance