In 19th-century France, trains went to the swing states, not the trade hubs.
April 17, 2026
Original Paper
The Politics of Railroads
SSRN · 6460779
The Takeaway
We assume the layout of our national infrastructure was designed by engineers looking for the most efficient routes. But in 19th-century France, the railroad map was actually drawn by politicians. Districts that were 'swing votes' or leaned Republican received much more investment, regardless of whether a train station actually made economic sense there. It turns out that the backbone of the modern economy was built as a 'pork-barrel' project to win elections. It’s a reminder that even the most 'logical' infrastructure projects are often just a form of political currency.
From the abstract
Infrastructure programs are eminently political projects whose allocation is not simply the result of concerns about economic efficiency. We show how representative politics influenced the allocation of railroads in France following the 1879 Freycinet plan, which projected a 40% increase in the size of the French network. Towns in Republican majority electoral districts were more likely to get train stations. This electoral effect emerged only after the parliament started getting involved in the