This paper attempts to trace and describe the role played by the government sector – the state – in promoting economic growth in Western societies since the Renaissance. One important conclusion is that the antagonism between state and market, which has characterised the twentieth century,...

This paper attempts to establish a theoretical foundation for regional policy. While mainstream economics tends to create a theory of even development, equilibrium, and market-induced harmony, this paper focuses on economic activities being qualitatively different as carriers of economic growth,...