"Make work" programs like this built the Hoover Dam and the Brooklyn bridge.

Fortunately these days the market has people doing "real, dignified work" like sitting in call centers harassing people to repay loans while that infrastructure ages and crumbles.

If those are providing tremendous value, as is I think your implication, then it's not "makework" as I would use the term. I have no objection to finding projects we want done and hiring people to do them (I may or may not object to the individual projects). I object to demanding someone spend their time on things that benefit no one so that they "have a job".

>I object to demanding someone spend their time on things that benefit no one

Exactly why did you immediately jump to the presumption that agencies like the PWA that guaranteed jobs for all Americans would result in work that benefited no one?

It wasn't presumption. It was my understanding of the word that was used.

Further, the major difference between a "guarantee" and not comes when we've run out of useful things to hire for.

There's no dignity in work, there's dignity in creating value, which not all work does. Private companies are quite capable of generating useless makework (If you haven't experienced this personally, I envy you).