Commentary Back in 2015, Justin Trudeau was elected prime minister in part because of his different disposition compared to then-prime minister Stephen Harper. It was not Trudeau’s experience in government, which was limited, nor his experience in business, which was non-existent, that led the Liberals to victory, but rather his exuding optimism that differentiated him from the other party leaders. Unfortunately, that optimism and policy-by-imagination has not been tempered over the last five years by the reality of government. In reality, governments of all political stripes face unique incentives and constraints that limit their ability to create, manage, and reform programs and services. For instance, the Liberal 2015 economic plan included a substantial increase in federal infrastructure spending to “turn our economy around and get it growing again.” The plan included $17 billion in new infrastructure spending over the first four years. Put differently, the Liberals imagined they could easily …