"Long scale planning certainly is a strength of a government, because in theory in means funding can be coerced from citizens and invested into projects that th

"Long scale planning certainly is a strength of a government, because in theory in means funding can be coerced from citizens and invested into projects that they wouldn't normally choose of their free will via the marketplace -- but they often simply don't invest in good long term projects." You're right about funding being coerced from citizens. There is also nothing theoretical about it, as anyone who has dealt with the IRS can probably tell you. As to long scale planning certainly being a strength of a government, I offer you the national debt of the United States of America as evidence. The long scale planning done by politicians has the national debt, including unfunded liabilities, at something like 80 trillion dollars or more.