Latest / The Fiscal Policy Podcast with Fexingo: Government Budgets, Stimulus, and Public Spending
Why the US Government Spends Five Dollars on a Dollar's Worth of Parts
When the military buys a spare part, the price tag can be fifty times what any private buyer would pay. In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the Pentagon's procurement system, where a single aircraft bolt can cost $1,000 and a coffee maker runs $7,600. They trace the problem to a tangled web of requirements, paperwork, and a supply chain that all but guarantees inflated prices. Drawing on a real 2018 audit of spare parts pricing, they explain why the system seems unfixable — and what a few bold reforms could do. If you've ever wondered why government spending always seems to…
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