Local Economic Development: A Review of the British and U.S. Comparative Literature

Abstract

The comparative literature on local economic development in the United States and the United Kingdom has two distinct strands. Public sector reports aim at identifying replicable programs and have generally been positive about the experiences on the other side of the Atlantic, based largely on the ideological affinity between national governments. The academic literature, by contrast, tends to deplore the convergence of ideological and economic conditions, as well as the resulting similarities in programs and outcomes. All too often, however, analyses are theoretically and methodologically weak and more anecdotal and impressionistic. Nevertheless, if done right, internationally comparative work can contribute importantly to a better understanding of economic restructuring, the opportunities and constraints of local governments, and what makes some programs fail and others succeed