Policy & Data
The Political Economy of U.S. Rural Policy: An Exploration of the Past with Strategies for the Future
Researchers argue that there exists a need for a national rural policy of some sort after years of solely agricultural-focused policy.
Rural Workforce 2000: Skill Upgrading
Report seeks to address the importance of upgrading the skill levels of rural works to match the skill levels of available jobs.
Case Study: The Impact of Deregulation on Rural Commercial Credit Availability in Four New England States
Report highlights the role of Local commercial banks as an important source of capital for small businesses within their local service areas.
Rural Policy Issues: Papers from Aberdeenshire
Paper provides case study analyses of rural policy issues in both Western Europe and North America
Working Below The Poverty Line in Rural and Urban America
This report examines how the earnings of American workers changed from 1970-1990
Creating Opportunity for Rural People and Places: A State Rural Economic Development Policy Academy
Report is a policy proposal for the CSPA Policy Academy, designed to deliver intensive assistance to states in rural policy development.
Foreign Investment, Industrial Linkages, and Regional Development.
Study focuses on the regional and rural implications of foreign direct investment in the United States (FDIUS).
Behind the Glitter: The Impact of Tourism on Rural Women in the Southeast
This report, "Behind Glitter: The Impact of Tourism on Rural Women in the Southeast," by Michal Smith, was prepared in August 1989 for The Aspen Institute Rural Economic Policy Program and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration, with funding from The Ford Foundation. The report investigates the economic impact of the tourism industry on rural women in the Southeast, arguing that tourism development, as practiced, is a "flawed economic development strategy."
The Rural Poor: What We Know and What We Need to Know
Report examines gaps in adequate policy-oriented research on the rural poor and what can be done to resolve it.
Tourism’s Impact on Rural Women in the Southeast
Paper seeks to shed light on tourism industry jobs, much of which are overwhelmingly female (food servers, maids, and retail clerks).
The Case of Rural UDAG Grants
Document provides background into nature of Urban Development Action Grant Program (UDAG), differentiated from other programs in that the grants require letters of commitment from the developer and at least 2.5 dollars of private investment for every dollar of UDAG funds.
How Family Farms Deal with Unexpected Financial Stress (final report)
This paper's purpose is to facilitate effective decision making by individual farm families, non-farm persons in rural communities, and local to national public policy makers as they considered their responses to the unexpected farm financial reversals of the 1980s.