Abstract
This essay illustrates how considerations of a region's dynamic industrial structure may assist public policymakers, particularly with regard to the formulation of state technology policies. The essay explores one state's (New Hampshire) economic development to accomplish three main purposes: to evaluate generalizations regarding the importance of geographical concentration on industrial performance, the refinement of common notions of government participation in state development, and to suggest guidelines for using an enhanced understanding of state industrial dynamics to lay the foundation for public policy initiative. The analysis suggests that state policymakers can make use of models of area/regional competitive advantage, particularly Michael Porter's "diamond" framework from The Competitive Advantage of Nations, but they must do so carefully because each state has a unique economic and political history that shapes its industrial structure and the possibilities for economic growth.
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