Synopses & Reviews
The author maintains that American politics, institutional arrangements, and political culture have prevented the development of a comprehensive, integrated, intermodal transportation policy in the United States. Dilger makes his argument by examining the development of the national governmental authority in both surface and air transportation. Each transportation mode—highways/mass transit, Amtrak, and civilian air transportation—is examined separately, assessing their development over time and focusing on current controversies, including, but not limited to, the highway versus mass transit funding issue; the recent decentralization of decision making authority on surface transportation policy; Amtrak's viability as an alternative to the automobile; and current antiterrorist policies' effect on transportation policy.
Review
This is an excellent, comprehensive, political-science-oriented examination of the development of US national transportation policy since the nation's founding....Highly recommended. Public; academic, upper-division undergraduate and up; and professional library collections.Choice
Review
Dilger's examination of the development of transportation policy is an interesting and well-written work that is an important contribution to the study of transportation policy in the United States.Publius
Synopsis
The author maintains that American politics, institutional arrangements, and political culture have prevented the development of a comprehensive, integrated, intermodal transportation policy in the United States. Dilger makes his argument by examining the development of the national governmental authority in both surface and air transportation. Each transportation mode--highways/mass transit, Amtrak, and civilian air transportation--is examined separately, assessing their development over time and focusing on current controversies, including, but not limited to, the highway versus mass transit funding issue; the recent decentralization of decision making authority on surface transportation policy; Amtrak's viability as an alternative to the automobile; and current antiterrorist policies' effect on transportation policy.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 161-173) and index.
Synopsis
America's ad-hoc ground, water, and air transportation policies reflect historical trends in national politics, institutional arrangements, and the prevailing national political culture.
About the Author
ROBERT JAY DILGER is the Director of the Institute for Public Affairs, West Virginia University, Morgantown.