Ideas in Development

Typically, business incentive reformers win the intellectual arguments about the downsides of business incentives, but state and local policymakers refuse to stop providing incentives. The following imagined dialogue between a wonk reformer and a business recruiting buffalo hunter captures the back-and-forth of such a conversation. But there is one big difference: this conversation may offer a way out of the present impasse.

There is no doubt in my mind that we are achieving an increasing consensus among both economic historians and economists, regarding the origins, logic, and essence of Western capitalist durability as an engine of growth.  Economist William Baumol, in his book, The Free Market Innovation Machine: Analyzing the Growth Miracle of Capitalism, states that “Free market” capitalism may not be the ideal system for promoting technological progress, but it does it more effectively than any other system.¹

with Bridget Venne

What can be done by firms and their business associations to create better employment opportunities or to transform lousy jobs?

In this series of articles about the causes, consequences and cures of the loss of jobs that pay well and demand low- or moderate skills, we have focused only on what the government could do (along with its nonprofit and for-profit partners).  In other words, we have sought public policy solutions. 

However, in our view, the business community itself could do more to aid in the retention of family-wage and benefit jobs and, as a result, see higher productivity and lowered turnover.

This week is “Green Economic Development” week at Ideas in Development, and in observance of such, Bill Schweke will be posting all week on the topic. Today, Bill begins with the first of a three-part series in which he recalls his days as CFED’s emissary to The Nature Conservancy on a project to create economic development opportunities on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, while preserving its pristine and sacred ecosystem…

The journey takes a turn toward the perilous: The nature conservancy’s experiment with compatible development

The Eastern Shore is home to about 45,000 people.  Many are poor.  John Hall and his staff had helped to create the Northampton Housing Trust, which eventually morphed into a CDC.  And in December 1993, the Jedi and other staff formed a for-profit company to create jobs on the Shore called the Virginia Eastern Shore Corporation (VESC).

A Capsule History of the United States

Everybody knows that old saying, “nothing is more certain than death and taxes.”  It’s also hard to escape from “debt and taxes.”  In fact, you could write a political history of America by focusing on debt.  There are so many examples.