The targeting of economic development incentives at distressed locations or particular industries is typically justified based on equity and efficiency grounds. However, existing empirical studies fail to fully explain the distribution of incentives in a region or state because they do not account for variations in the distribution of population or industries. This article contributes to the literature on the targeting of incentives in several important ways, using the example of Ohio. The distribution of economic incentives is examined using the intensity of incentives, which allows for examination of whether incentives are targeted to distressed locations or industries. Intensity of incentives is measured as the value or number of incentives weighted by the number of employees and firms in each location or industry. We find that policies are missing the mark if they are indeed intended to target areas of distress or particular industries.
The 1988 Base Closure and Realignment Act empowered the Commission on Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) to undertake five rounds of significant military base closure and realignment. Investigating the economic impacts associated with base closures provides the first step in not only determining whether the BRAC Commission has effectively minimized negative impacts on affected communities but also provides guidance to policy makers in targeting future base closures, and helps affected communities prepare for the economic shocks associated with these events. This article examines (a) the local economic impacts associated with general changes in military base employment; (b) if the first four, completed rounds of BRAC closures have a significant differential impact on county-level employment; (c) whether these BRAC closures exhibit economic spillover effects on the employment of neighboring counties; and (d) if the economic impact associated with BRAC losses differs for enlisted and civilian personnel reductions.
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