Private venture capitalists cover their losses from failed investments with their profits from those that succeed; but government programs are rarely set up to generate significant returns. While some argue that the government’s return comes through taxes, the current tax system is not working, owing not only to loopholes, but also to rate reductions.
私人风险资本家用得自成功项目的利润抵消失败投资的损失；但政府项目很少是为了赢得大量回报。一些人认为政府的回报来自税收，但当前税收体系不起作用，不仅因为存在漏洞，也因为税率降低。NASA建立时，最高边际税率为90%以上。而资本利得税自20世纪80年代以来下降了50%多。