The chapters in this book explore reasons for the decline of "Rust Belt" cities and the often innovative responses of local leaders and entrepreneurs that are helping to revive these areas.

This paper describes the completion of a “comprehensive study of regionalism” that was conducted by a joint team of economists and economic development specialists for the Economic Development Administration (EDA). The project consisted of two main activities: an examination of the factors...

This is the first significant attempt to quantify the development efforts made by state and local governments. The authors' extensive research focuses on tax and incentive policies across the 24 most industrialized states in the U.S.A. and a sample of 112 cities from within those states.

Bartik reviews evidence on whether state and local policies affect job growth. He then presents empirical data supporting the intentions of such programs, showing that job growth may lead to a number of positive long-term effects including: lower unemployment, higher labor force participation,...

What effect does foreign direct investment (FDI) have on job creation, wages, and productivity in the U.S.? How does FDI impact the budget deficit? How do changes in states' fiscal policy affect plant location choices? Ondrych and Wasylenko address these and other politically-charged questions...