Needed: a national growth policy

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1978 · Brookings Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7061204

Sundquist, J L

In the Employment Act of 1946, the Congress decided that whether the U.S. has an expanding and stable economy is one of those things too important to be left to chance (to the marketplace) and that the government should set goals for employment and production. Nearly a quarter of a century later, in 1970, Congress decided that the geographic aspect of economic expansion also was too important to be left to chance. It declared in the Urban Growth and New Community Development Act of 1970 that the Federal government would adopt policies to guide and influence the distribution over space of the country's economic activity--in short, what was then called a ''national urban growth policy,'' later renamed a ''national urban policy.'' No policies were implemented. But now the Carter administration does appear to be taking it seriously. The President has announced his ''new partnership'' program for the cities, which will be put in the context of a comprehensive urban policy in a report to Congress. He has called for a 15% investment tax credit, instead of the normal 10%, for investment located in distressed communities, urban or rural. The differential would be enacted on an experimental two-year basis and limited to $200 million in addition credits each year. This paper specifically reviews what the Congress meant in 1970 in saying that the United States should have a growth policy (or a national urban policy), and to consider what such a policy might be and how it might be carried out. (MCW)

• OSTI ID: 7061204
• Journal Information: Brookings Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: Brookings Bull.; (United States) Vol. 14:4; ISSN BROBA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290200* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Economics & Sociology
293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy
Legislation
& Regulation
AGRICULTURE
COMMUNITIES
DECISION MAKING
DOCUMENT TYPES
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ECONOMIC POLICY
EMPLOYMENT
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INVESTMENT
LAWS
NORTH AMERICA
POPULATION DYNAMICS
POPULATIONS
REVIEWS
URBAN AREAS
USA
WORK