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Public-private Partnerships

A public-private partnership is an agreement in which a government works with a private company to build, run, or pay for a public project or service. Contracts set out who takes on costs, risks, and rewards. Federal, state, and local governments use these arrangements for roads, buildings, economic development, defense, and other work.

People usually ask how these partnerships are structured, what each side contributes, and who is accountable when something goes wrong. They also ask why governments choose them, how they differ from ordinary contracting or privatization, how the public can review them, and what debates surround the balance between public benefit and private profit.

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June 7last updated

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