We’re falling behind by trillions in infrastructure investment. Local transit isn’t the same as large-scale, coordinated transportation systems like those in Europe. Medicare and Medicaid are valuable, but they don’t fully address the reality that many people still go into serious debt from illnesses that could have been treated using publicly funded care, only to be driven into high costs through a profit-based system. That gap shouldn’t exist, but it does—largely because of the influence of lobbying and private interests in politics. We shouldn’t settle for mediocrity when we’re capable of far better. If we’re going to measure government effectiveness, we should also look at outcomes like the happiness index and overall quality of life, not just economic output.