This paper isolates critical rural economic development issues and identifies needed federal policy interventions. Despite a long history of federal efforts to improve rural economic conditions, recent policies and programs aimed at stimulating rural development have had little impact. Reasons include: (1) narrowly focused economic development…

This report identifies factors that influence a rural area's economic success or failure, and evaluates whether federal programs efficiently address rural economic problems. Data collection included a review of federal programs that provide funding to rural areas, and interviews with federal and state agency officials involved with rural…

Interest in encouraging linkages between economic development efforts of various federal agencies with the job development and training activities of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) led, in 1979, to the development of an interagency effort, the Employment Initiatives Program, and the signing of six interagency agreements with…

The overall economic well-being of U.S. rural communities is on the decline. Rural America is now dependent on a highly diversified economy, and its problems will not be resolved through improved farm income alone. Various weaknesses in rural development policies must be addressed. The narrow policy focus on attracting manufacturing industries to…

In March 1989 this working group explored how the federal government might better address rural America's problems. The WGRD consisted of key officials from relevant federal departments and agencies, who came together to explore the following areas of rural development programming: (1) rural education and training; (2) rural economic development;…

Few national level programs in the United States directly support both local development and education/training. Although both are needed to accomplish the desired goals of economic stability and low unemployment, distinctly different sets of policies exist for each, and because of limited federal resources, each program is in competition with the…

This paper examines changes in federal policy that have encouraged economic development by American Indian tribes, and presents examples from New Mexico. The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 guaranteed federal provision of education and other services to the tribes, but the newly reorganized tribal governments were regulated almost exclusively by…

American Indian unemployment remains high despite efforts by tribes and the federal government to improve employment opportunities. Persistently high unemployment among Indians has resulted in low family incomes and high poverty rates relative to Whites. Particularly serious on reservations, these continuing problems are related in part to low…

This report contains the text of five briefings on research in Rand's Urban Policy Analysis program. "Brief History of Rand's Urban Policy Analysis Program," by Barbara R. Williams, discusses the changing Federal role in urban policy, problems encountered in Rand's attempt during the early 1970s to examine the central policy problems of…

This paper explores the role of public jobs programs in the U.S. economy from the 1930s to the present. It postulates that jobs programs are necessary because they serve four separate but overlapping needs: alleviating joblessness, hardship, and poverty; helping the economy emerge from recession; providing jobs to able-bodied welfare recipients;…

Problems in federal rural policy arise in a number of areas: the extreme economic adversity of rural America, failure to acknowledge the higher cost of providing rural services, failure to distinguish between rural programs and agriculture programs, and failure to address specific rural needs. Papers in this collection examine rural development…

Examines current social policies and the extent to which they address rural needs. Focuses on primary issues raised by programs of social insurance, public assistance, and economic development. Notes differences between pre- and post-transfer income and their impact on self-sufficiency for rural populations. (JHZ)

This paper analyzes and evaluates federal assistance to Indians on or near reservations and recommends public policies to promote self-determination through economic development. Most Indian tribes rely on federal funds for basic necessities and services. At current funding levels, reservation residents lead lives of deprivation or opt for…

This report is intended to provide practitioners and policymakers with a thorough history of efforts to link employment and training programs, community development programs, small business development programs, minority enterprise development programs, and economic development programs. The report contains three sections. Section 1 is an essay on…

The need for a national policy for the development and use of human resources is evident. One part of the human resource development issue centers around the needs of adult workers who are unemployed or threatended with unemployment because of structural changes in the labor market. The issue of retraining adult workers was examined in detail in…