This article explores various aspects of the conventional wisdom regarding local economic development policy and policy making. Much widely accepted knowledge about why and how local governments approach economic development is based on a fairly narrow array of methodological approaches. And the conclusions often suffer from the limitations inherent in their respective methodologies. This may mean that what we think we know about local economic development might be reasonably accurate, but it does not quite reflect actual local dynamics. Yes, the conventional wisdom is true, but.... Using data from a large survey database of Canadian and U.S. cities along with findings from nine case studies in medium-size and smaller cities in both nations, the authors challenge a number of accepted truths and present an alternative civic culture framework for better understanding economic development policy making.
This article examines local economic development goals and policies in Canada and the United States during a 7-year period. The analysis is based on surveys of cities with a population greater than 10,000 in the two countries conducted in 1994 and 2001, allowing for an assessment of the extent of change versus stability in overall approach toward economic development. Economic development priorities in both U.S. and Canadian cities have remained relatively stable, focusing most heavily on traditional economic development strategies. Cities in both countries are tightening their focus on a traditional package of policies and thus appear to be institutionalizing their approaches. Whereas U.S. cities manifest a more passive role for government, Canadian cities reflect a more active role through partnerships that require an active professional staff.
This symposium presents a subset of findings from a larger multicity research project using a single operational and methodological scheme to explore the nature of civic culture. The overall purpose is to explore civic cultures in an array of larger cities, test an initial typology of civic culture, and begin to examine the connections between civic culture and local policy. The articles in the symposium make clear that it is possible to empirically identify a parsimonious taxonomy of local civic cultures focusing on systems of community power, values, and decision-making. While many questions about the internal dynamics of each type remain to be answered, the civic cultures identified here appear empirically distinct and theoretically logical. Future research and dialogue need to focus on defining what culture is and what it is not, and then move to explore the linkages between the elements of civic culture and ultimately to local policy.
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