Doctoral Dissertation Research: Human Ecology, Growth Coalitions, and Local State Autonomy--The Case of Enterprise Zones

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This is an award under the Grants for Improving Doctoral Dissertation Research Program. It is a study of enterprise zones with an emphasis on human ecology, growth coalitions and local state autonomy. Enterprise zones are economically and socially depressed areas that have been designated by a government agency for revitalization. Special incentives, such as tax cuts, are offered to businesses that wish to invest in the zones. In this research, multiple comparisons using census and telephone survey data will measure zone effectiveness net of various ecological factors. Examination of the zone designation and promotion process in five study sites will provide information on the agents involved in the zone, who lobbied for establishment of the zone, and who is responsible for its success or failure. Because there is a noted difference between rural and urban places in how they develop, comparisons between zones found in these two contexts will be made. %%% This research will contribute to the subdisciplines of economic sociology, political sociology, and community sociology, and it will provide information to help guide policy makers considering the enterprise zone mechanism as a means for promoting economic growth in depressed areas. In addition to the scientific gains to be achieved by the research, this award will materially assist a highly promising student in completing research for the Ph.D. dissertation. Thus it contributes to the future scientific manpower of the nation and the thorough training of the next generation of social scientists.