At the most basic
level, this project is about public policy change. Policy refers to the
goals and objectives of governments, as well as laws, ordinances, and related
steps taken to implement a chosen course of action. But what happens
when a policy redirection is needed or perceived as needed? This project
focuses attention upon the local level of government; specifically gateway
communities. Typically consisting of small towns with a year-round
population of less than 15,000 residents, gateways encompass a set of unique
attributes. Gateway communities are distinguished through their rural
character, proximity to public lands, and lack of economic diversification.
Rather they have traditionally relied on a relatively few or even a single
source to drive the local economy. Such economic engines have been
closely linked to adjacent public lands; consisting of resources extraction
and processing, recreational tourism, and as local service provider.
Yet, the relative proximity to public lands does not guarantee that gateway
communities will be well positioned to exploit the opportunities these public
lands provide.
This project analyses the components of economic
development policy at the local level.
To this end the project addresses
several basic questions:
What impact
have the stricter public lands protection standards adopted in recent
decades had upon gateway community economies?
What are the
opportunities and impediments for local government officials and citizens in
fashioning a community economic development policy vision?
What is the
role that intergovernmental agreements and public-private sector
partnerships can play in formulating and implementing an economic
development policy vision?
What
resources, particularly financial, and what role do resources play in
supporting the formulation and development of an economic development policy
vision?
Political Science Department ♦ Central
Michigan University ♦ 247 Anspach Hall ♦
Mount Pleasant ♦ Michigan ♦ 48859 ♦ Phone: 989-774-3442 ♦ Fax:
989-774-1136 ♦
At the most basic
level, this project is about public policy change. Policy refers to the
goals and objectives of governments, as well as laws, ordinances, and related
steps taken to implement a chosen course of action. But what happens
when a policy redirection is needed or perceived as needed? This project
focuses attention upon the local level of government; specifically gateway
communities. Typically consisting of small towns with a year-round
population of less than 15,000 residents, gateways encompass a set of unique
attributes. Gateway communities are distinguished through their rural
character, proximity to public lands, and lack of economic diversification.
Rather they have traditionally relied on a relatively few or even a single
source to drive the local economy. Such economic engines have been
closely linked to adjacent public lands; consisting of resources extraction
and processing, recreational tourism, and as local service provider.
Yet, the relative proximity to public lands does not guarantee that gateway
communities will be well positioned to exploit the opportunities these public
lands provide.