Home to 65 million people, rural America is no longer insulated from national and international events. Once dependent entirely upon agriculture and natural resource industries, today rural America relies upon manufacturing and service industries. Jobs and other income opportunities in rural America must respond to global business cycles and…

Intended for rural development practitioners and extension educators, this publication examines trends and issues in the revitalization of rural America. Chapter 1 defines community economic vitality as the capacity to ensure a flow of jobs and income over time; focuses attention on the realities of competition between communities and the…

Although the private sector has the primary role for job generation in the U.S. market economy, local community leaders can play a significant part in creating a growth-stimulating economic environment. A comprehensive economic development strategy appropriate to a community's specific goals and conditions requires careful analysis of the…

This report identifies local factors that foster rural economic growth. A review of the literature revealed potential indicators of county economic growth, and those indicators were then tested against data for nonmetro counties during the 1980s using multiple regression analysis. The principal variables examined included demographic and labor…

The consistent economic growth of the Georgia community is the result of careful planning over a long period. Successful community development efforts have resulted in a new regional library, an airport, a vocational technical school, an industrial park, and increased industrialization. (SB)

Many small towns are considering community-based start-up funds (SUF) to foster development and retention of small businesses. But whether a community is large or small, a group must be well-organized before it begins to make decisions concerning the design and purpose of a small-business SUF. This primer highlights some main points a community…

This bibliography consists of 72 publications related to agricultural development, community development, rural development, economic development, and rural sociology. The entries, all published in the 1980s, and available from the National Agricultural Library's (NAL) Rural Information Center, are broken down as follows: 32 journal articles; 15…

Rural economic development depends on implementation of strategies that capture the competitive edge of the total rural environment. It will not succeed by weak duplication of traditional urban development strategies. The historic dependence on the natural resource base that is the common denominator for rural areas must be regarded not as a…

The survival of many rural communities is threatened by complex interacting economic and social conditions. Schools can play a significant role in revitalizing rural communities. Three approaches to community development involve community as curriculum; school as community center; and school-based economic development. Successful programs…

This book outlines the competitive challenge facing rural America and discusses signs of hope for the rural economy. It reports some "secrets of success" in 16 rural farm belt counties that have gained employment while most rural areas are losing jobs. It also describes new state initiatives to help rural communities and lists operating…

The development of Arctic Canada's resources has historically been guided by two contrasting administrative approaches: one favoring the free play of profit motives in a laissez-faire market economy and the other the coordination of development through formalized government planning. In both approaches, Eurocanadians are the dominant figures,…

Examines changes in rural economies, and stresses the declining importance of resource-based industries (farming, forestry, mining) in most. Points to future growth in service sector, suggesting rural areas increase access to education, capital, telecommunications, and transportation to attract development. Contains graphs, table, and 20…

This book is designed to help identify, analyze, and address problems that are found in rural parts of the United States. It focuses on the community as the place where individuals come together in order to solve those problems. The book's 13 chapters are divided into 4 sections. The first section discusses rural definition and community…

Compares the attitudes of newcomers to rural areas from cities with those of rural newcomers and rural residents on several growth and development issues. The research suggests that rural newcomers may be more likely to function as advocates of change in a local situation than former urbanites. (Author/CT)

Rural economic development presents a paradox of growth in population and jobs without corresponding improvement in local economic well-being. Four forces may impede nonmetropolitan development efforts. Growth of multiestablishment corporations makes traditional regional economic development models unrealistic. Rural industrialization is socially,…