Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Beltway bandits
Beltway bandit is a term for private companies located near Washington, D.C. whose major business is to provide goods and services to the US government. The phrase was originally a mild insult, implying that the companies preyed like bandits on the largesse of the federal government, but it has lost much of its pejorative nature and is now often used as a neutral, descriptive term.
The name comes from the Capital Beltway, the ring road that surrounds Washington. (Most of the road is officially called Route 495, although the eastern third is part of the Route 95, which traverses most of the east coast.) The majority of private contractors are located, or at least headquartered, inside this road in order to be close to federal agencies and legislators.
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