Building a Resilient Twenty-First-Century Economy for Rural America

In Building a Resilient Twenty-First-Century Economy for Rural America, Don E. Albrecht visits rural communities that have traditionally been dependent on a variety of goods-producing industries, explores what has happened as employment in these industries has declined, and provides a path by which they can build a vibrant twenty-first-century economy. Albrecht describes how structural economic changes led rural voters to support Donald Trump in the 2016 election and why his policies will not relieve the economic problems of rural residents. Trump’s promises to restore rural industrial jobs simply cannot be fulfilled because his policies do not address the base cause for this job loss—technological change, the most significant factor being the machine replacement of human labor in the production process. Bringing a personal understanding of the effects on rural communities and residents, Albrecht focuses each chapter on a community that has traditionally been economically dependent on a single industry—manufacturing, coal mining, agriculture, logging, oil and gas production, and tourism—and the consequences of losing that industry. He also lays out a plan for rebuilding America’s rural areas and creating an economically vibrant country with a more sustainable future. The rural economy cannot return to the past as it was structured and instead must look to a new future. Building a Resilient Twenty-First-Century Economy for Rural America describes the source of economic concerns in rural America and offers real ways to address them. It will be vital to students, scholars, practitioners, community leaders, politicians, and policy makers concerned with rural community development. In Building a Resilient Twenty-First-Century Economy for RuralAmerica, Don E. Albrecht visits rural communities that havetraditionally been dependent on a variety of goods-producingindustries, explores what has happened as employment in theseindustries has declined, and provides a path by which they canbuild a vibrant twenty-first-century economy. Albrecht describeshow structural economic changes led rural voters to support DonaldTrump in the 2016 election and why his policies will not relievethe economic problems of rural residents. Trump's promises to restore rural industrial jobs simply cannot befulfilled because his policies do not address the base cause forthis job loss-technological change, the most significant factorbeing the machine replacement of human labor in the productionprocess. Bringing a personal understanding of the effects on ruralcommunities and residents, Albrecht focuses each chapter on acommunity that has traditionally been economically dependent on asingle industry-manufacturing, coal mining, agriculture, logging,oil and gas production, and tourism-and the consequences of losingthat industry. He also lays out a plan for rebuilding America'srural areas and creating an economically vibrant country with amore sustainable future. The rural economy cannot return to the past as it was structuredand instead must look to a new future. Building a ResilientTwenty-First-Century Economy for Rural America describes thesource of economic concerns in rural America and offers real waysto address them. It will be vital to students, scholars,practitioners, community leaders, politicians, and policy makersconcerned with rural community development Manufacturing -- Agriculture -- The coal industry -- Fracking, horizontal drilling and oil and gas production -- Northwest forests and the logging industry -- Mineral development -- Amenity and tourism communities -- Federal environmental policies and rural economic development -- Federal land management and rural economic development -- Building a 21st century economy for rural america ""Rural communities have traditionally been dependent on goods-producing industries. What happened as employment in these industries has declined? Provides a path a twenty-first-century economy can be built. Describes how economic changes led rural voters to support Trump and why his policies won't relieve rural economic problems"-- Provided by publisher