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Something New or More of the Same in the Bidding Wars for Big Business?

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  • Linda McCarthy

Abstract

The economic downturn that began in 2007–2008 was blamed by some commentators on neoliberalism and pro-business policies. So we might expect U.S. state and local governments to have responded with policy changes affecting their neoliberal economic development strategies. Based on this assumption, this paper is a theoretically informed examination of recent high-profile bidding wars in Wisconsin. The highest profile example was in 2009 when General Motors chose a plant in Michigan over Wisconsin and Tennessee for a new small car line. Wisconsin's Commerce Secretary characterized Michigan's $1.2 billion incentive offer as “absolutely crazy” (compared with his state's $409 million offer!). My main research question is how have Wisconsin state and local governments adjusted their neoliberal economic development efforts in these bidding wars given the recent economic downturn and weak economy? This paper uses the largest incentive offers in Wisconsin during the tenure of the current and previous state governors within the context of ten themes drawn from the literature to problematize the neoliberal policy of bidding for big business. It concludes by considering the implications for economic development policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Linda McCarthy, 2015. "Something New or More of the Same in the Bidding Wars for Big Business?," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(2), pages 153-171, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:growch:v:46:y:2015:i:2:p:153-171
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/grow.12089
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Aycan Katitas & Sonal Pandya, 2024. "Investment incentives attract foreign direct investment: evidence from the great recession," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 200(1), pages 323-345, July.
    2. Craig W. Carpenter & Anders Van Sandt & Rebekka Dudensing & Scott Loveridge, 2022. "Profit Pools and Determinants of Potential County-Level Manufacturing Growth," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 45(2), pages 188-224, March.
    3. Tessa Conroy & Steven Deller & Alexandra Tsvetkova, 2017. "Interstate Relocation Of Manufacturers And Business Climate," Review of Urban & Regional Development Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 18-45, March.
    4. Yuxuan Pan & Tessa Conroy & Alexandra Tsvetkova & Matthew Kures, 2020. "Incentives and Firm Migration: An Interstate Comparison Approach," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 34(2), pages 140-153, May.
    5. LaBrie, Ryan C. & Steinke, Gerhard H. & Li, Xiangmin & Cazier, Joseph A., 2018. "Big data analytics sentiment: US-China reaction to data collection by business and government," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 45-55.
    6. Conroy, Tessa & Deller, Steven & Tsvetkova, Alexandra, 2016. "Regional business climate and interstate manufacturing relocation decisions," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 155-168.

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