TLDR: NIMBYs suing to block projects, delaying the work. Simple inflation in materials, wages, property values, etc., during the legal battles drive up the ulti

TLDR: NIMBYs suing to block projects, delaying the work. Simple inflation in materials, wages, property values, etc., during the legal battles drive up the ultimate costs. Also, America builds infrastructure largely as 1-off projects, rather than continuously, so there are startup and shutdown costs added on. IOW...bureaucracy would actually reduce costs. Corruption is a drop in the bucket compared to these other items.