The factor that seems to underlie such programs is the notion that they are too large in scope, or too far-future in their profitability, to be viable for one individual or group to undertake them.

If the highway program were not coordinated by the central management, it would be a shambles-- the roads would change dramatically at every state or county line. Overcoming local arbitraries and greed and self-interests was hard enough even with the full leverage of Federalism behind it.

I think it is similar for other large-scale undertakings.

The big question is, what kinds of nation-wide concerns and what degree of centralized coordination? I think barking about "-isms" is less profitable than a case by case examination of how the benefits balance against the drawbacks.

A