For nearly four centuries, Americans have debated the government's proper role in developing the economy. Some argue that the economy develops the best when government intervenes the least. Others counter that the economy best develops when government and business work together to that end. A Short History of American Industrial Policies analyzes the ideological, political, and industrial policy struggle from the colonial era to the 1990s. To give a complete understanding, both the chronology and process of America's industrial policymaking and policies are explored in depth throughout.

Industrial policy is making a comeback in the United States. It is more urgent than ever to understand how and whether industrial policy has worked to strengthen the US economy. This study analyzes and scores 18 US industrial policy episodes implemented between 1970 and 2020, in an effort to assess what went right and what went wrong—and how the current initiatives might fare. The Peterson Institute for International Economics gratefully acknowledges the support of the Koch Foundation for this project.

For nearly four centuries, Americans have debated the government's proper role in developing the economy. Some argue that the economy develops the best when government intervenes the least. Others counter that the economy best develops when government and business work together to that end. That debate is actually quite sterile and ironic. As this history makes clear, since the federal government was first instituted, it has picked winners and losers, favoring some industries, firms, regions, cities, and technologies, and neglecting others. Politics and pressure groups rather than strategic planning determine America's mix of industrial policies. Throughout the nations' history, an economic development and security usually determined whether or not it was nurtured. Even those who advocate the free market tend to make an exception when the government enriches their own special interests. This book analyzes the ideological, political, and industrial policy struggle from the colonial era to the 1990s.

This eleventh edition was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. Some of its articles were written by the best-known scholars of the time and it is considered to be a landmark encyclopaedia for scholarship and literary style.

The 'Industrial Revolution' was a pivotal point in British history that occurred between the mid-eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries and led to far reaching transformations of society. With the advent of revolutionary manufacturing technology productivity boomed. Machines were used to spin and weave cloth, steam engines were used to provide reliable power, and industry was fed by the construction of the first railways, a great network of arteries feeding the factories. Cities grew as people shifted from agriculture to industry and commerce. Hand in hand with the growth of cities came rising levels of pollution and disease. Many people lost their jobs to the new machinery, whilst working conditions in the factories were grim and pay was low. As the middle classes prospered, social unrest ran through the working classes, and the exploitation of workers led to the growth of trade unions and protest movements. In this Very Short Introduction, Robert C. Allen analyzes the key features of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, and the spread of industrialization to other countries. He considers the factors that combined to enable industrialization at this time, including Britain's position as a global commercial empire, and discusses the changes in technology and business organization, and their impact on different social classes and groups. Introducing the 'winners' and the 'losers' of the Industrial Revolution, he looks at how the changes were reflected in evolving government policies, and what contribution these made to the economic transformation. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.