36th Annual Student Research Conference
How Does a Region Rust Away?
Thaddeus C. Meadows
Dr. David Gillette, Faculty Mentor
How does a region rust away? In a country heralded as a free market environment, we expect business to boom. This article examines the rent seeking tools that vested interests utilized in the American Northeast, securing their market position at the detriment of society, ultimately contributing to the long term economic decline of the region. It touches on a wide range of literature and research exploring the Rust Belt's economic situation and the mechanisms by which it fell, including regulatory capture, trade protectionism, and union politics.
Keywords: Rust Belt, Public Choice, Rent Seeking, Trade Protectionism, Urban Decay, Internal Migration, Labor Unions, Regulatory Capture
Topic(s):Economics
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: 202-2
Location: SUB Georgian Room A
Time: 10:30