Full Citation

Title: Research and Regional Development: Evidence from American Agriculture

Citation Type: Conference Paper

Publication Year: 2013

ISBN:

ISSN:

DOI:

NSFID:

PMCID:

PMID:

Abstract: While innovation is central for understanding development over time, less is known about how innovation aff ects development over space. In this paper we use the establishment of agricultural experiment stations to examine the eff ects of a permanent increase in local research on long-term regional development. Our analysis of county-level agricultural census data from 1870 to 2000 reveals that station establishment increased local land productivity over the medium term, with land one standard deviation closer to research receiving a 36% increase in productivity 20 years later. Research proximity e ffects disappear, however, after 30 to 50 years. Furthermore, while the eff ects of research proximity on extensive and intensive adjustments of producers do persist, they cannot account for the limited persistence of research proximity on land productivity. Instead, changes in the development and diffusion of basic science appear to have reduced the advantages of proximity.

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Whalley, Alexander; Kantor, Shawn

Conference Name: Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley

Publisher Location: University of California, Berkeley

Data Collections: IPUMS NHGIS

Topics: Methodology and Data Collection, Other

Countries: