9320043 Hooks This is a study of the regional stimulus provided by federal outlays and investments, by county, over the period 1954-1990. It will build on existing data concerning World War II federal investments by encoding data contained in General Services Administration reports on federal properties, classified according to the function performed (research and development, industrial, administrative, and miscellaneous) and by the agency controlling the installation. Analysis will examine the effects of these facilities on several dimensions of county-level growth: value added in manufacturing, employment, wage levels, and education level of the work force. %%% In addition to addressing issues of central concern to social scientists, this research will generate valuable information for the policy makers who are making decisions concerning the redirection of federal investments and prime contracts in the post Cold War era. Specifically, there is widespread concern that counties in which major military installations are being closed or reduced in size will experience significant economic dislocation in the coming years. Additionally, there exists much disagreement over the possibility that federally-owned toxic waste sites, especially those used for nuclear weapons production, may inhibit local economic growth. Because the data set will include military bases destined to close and toxic waste sites, the findings generated by this research can assist policy makers to anticipate which counties will experience the greatest economic dislocation. ***
