Dam construction is a leading historical example. In general, there is a tendency to overestimate the economic benefits of big infrastructure projects in countries riddled by poor governance and corruption, and to underestimate the long-run social costs of having to repay loans whether or not promised revenues materialize.
水坝建设是最显著的历史例子之一。总体而言，对于治理不善和腐败横行的国家，其大型基础设施工程的经济收益会是多少有一种高估的倾向，而对于不论预期收入是否实现，偿还贷款的长期社会成本会是多少则有一种低估趋势。