Do Public Policies Affect County Growth?

Population and employment grew fast in the South and West, and in suburbs and rural areas, but grew slowly or declined in other regions and in many cities. An analysis of these changes at the county level indicates that population and employment interact strongly to affect growth. Public policies, such as Industrial Development Bonds or right-to-work laws, however, appear to have small or even insignificant effects on county growth.

This article appeared in the July/August 1985 edition of Business Review.