A Guide to Understanding and Evaluating Infrastructure Public-Private Partnerships

Public-private partnerships (known as “P3s”) use private capital to finance public infrastructure projects, and should generally be avoided. Private funding of infrastructure is more expensive than public funding and result in the loss of democratic control over public policy decisions, reduced labor standards, and public information becoming confidential. P3 partnerships should only be entered into if they are structured on a “win-win-win” foundation: a win for the public, a win for the economy, and a win that generates an adequate rate of return for double-bottom line investors. The win for the public comes from infrastructure being rebuilt, while the economic win is creating jobs that lift families out of poverty, preserving the middle class, and building essential infrastructure.