IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/h/upj/uchaps/tjbrdb1997.html
   My bibliography  Save this book chapter

Can Economic Development Programs be Evaluated?

In: Dilemmas of Urban Economic Development

Author

Abstract

The question addressed in this paper seems simple: Can economic development programs be evaluated? But the answer is not simple because of the nature of evaluation. To determine a program's effectiveness requires a sophisticated evaluation because it requires the evaluator to distinguish changes due to the program from changes due to nonprogram factors. The evaluator must focus on the outcomes caused by the program rather than the program's procedures. Evaluations can be divided into two categories process or formative evaluations and outcome, impact, or summative evaluations. Process evaluations focus on how a program is delivered. Impact evaluations focus on the program's results. Although process evaluations are important, the focus of this chapter is on program outcomes thus the concern with impact evaluations; however, both types of evaluations need to be defined.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Timothy J. Bartik & Richard D. Bingham, 1997. "Can Economic Development Programs be Evaluated?," Book chapters authored by Upjohn Institute researchers, in: Richard D. Bingham & Robert Mier (ed.),Dilemmas of Urban Economic Development, pages 246-290, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:upj:uchaps:tjbrdb1997
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    To our knowledge, this item is not available for download. To find whether it is available, there are three options:
    1. Check below whether another version of this item is available online.
    2. Check on the provider's web page whether it is in fact available.
    3. Perform a search for a similarly titled item that would be available.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Timothy J. Bartik, "undated". "Who Benefits from Local Job Growth: Migrants or Original Residents?," Upjohn Working Papers tjb1993rs, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    2. Papke, Leslie E., 1994. "Tax policy and urban development : Evidence from the Indiana enterprise zone program," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 37-49, May.
    3. Timothy J. Bartik, 1991. "Who Benefits from State and Local Economic Development Policies?," Books from Upjohn Press, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, number wbsle, November.
    4. Harry J. Holzer & Richard N. Block & Marcus Cheatham & Jack H. Knott, 1993. "Are Training Subsidies for Firms Effective? The Michigan Experience," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 46(4), pages 625-636, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Guilherme Resende, 2011. "Evaluating Micro and Macro Effects of Regional Development Policies: The Case of the Northeast Regional Fund (FNE) in Brazil, 2000-2006," ERSA conference papers ersa10p853, European Regional Science Association.
    2. Orso, Cristina, 2011. "Microcredit and poverty. An overview of the principal statistical methods used to measure the program net impacts," POLIS Working Papers 154, Institute of Public Policy and Public Choice - POLIS.
    3. Timothy J. Bartik, 2004. "Evaluating the Impacts of Local Economic Development Policies on Local Economic Outcomes: What Has Been Done and What Is Doable?," Book chapters authored by Upjohn Institute researchers, in: Evaluating Local Economic and Employment Development: How to Access Waht Works Among Programmes and Policies, pages 113-142, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    4. Ted K. Bradshaw, 2002. "The Contribution of Small Business Loan Guarantees to Economic Development," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 16(4), pages 360-369, November.
    5. Guilherme M. Resende, 2020. "Measuring Micro- and Macro-Impacts of Regional Development Policies: The Case of the Northeast Regional Fund (FNE) Industrial Loans in Brazil, 2000–2006," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(4), pages 646-664, July.
    6. Antonio Avalos, 2010. "Migration, Unemployment, And Wages: The Case Of The California San Joaquin Valley," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 28(1), pages 123-135, January.
    7. Daniele Bondonio, 2003. "Do Tax Incentives Affect Local Economic Growth? What Mean Impacts Miss in the Analysis of Enterprise Zone Policies," Working Papers 03-17, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    8. Michael Keane & Eoghan Garvey, 2006. "Measuring the employment effects of the rural renewal tax scheme," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(3), pages 359-374.
    9. Janna Johnson, 2009. "Rural Economic Development in the United States," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 23(3), pages 229-241, August.
    10. Ann Markusen & Amy Glasmeier, 2008. "Rejoinder: History, Leadership, Place Prosperity, Rationales, Competitiveness, Outcomes," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 22(2), pages 115-118, May.
    11. Bondonio, Daniele, 2009. "Impact identification strategies for evaluating business incentive programs," POLIS Working Papers 129, Institute of Public Policy and Public Choice - POLIS.
    12. Dave Valler & Andrew Wood, 2010. "Conceptualizing Local and Regional Economic Development in the USA," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(2), pages 139-151.
    13. Laura A. Reese & David Fasenfest, 2003. "Planning for Development: An Assessment of the Economic Development District Planning Process," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 17(3), pages 264-279, August.
    14. Bondonio, Daniele & Engberg, John, 2000. "Enterprise zones and local employment: evidence from the states' programs," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 519-549, September.
    15. Christopher E. Bartels & Jeremy L. Hall, 2012. "Exploring Management Practice Variation in Tax Increment Financing Districts," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 26(1), pages 13-33, February.
    16. Eric Amankwaah & Nicholas Mensah & Nana Okyir Baidoo, 2022. "The impact of location tax incentives on the growth of rural economy: evidence from Ghana," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 1-19, December.
    17. Laura A. Reese & David Fasenfest, 1999. "Critical Perspectives on Local Development Policy Evaluation," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 13(1), pages 3-7, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Courant, Paul N., 1994. "How Would You Know a Good Economic Policy if You Tripped Over One? Hint: Don't Just Count Jobs," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 47(4), pages 863-881, December.
    2. Timothy J. Bartik & George Erickcek, 2014. "Simulating the Effects of the Tax Credit Program of the Michigan Economic Growth Authority on Job Creation and Fiscal Benefits," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 28(4), pages 314-327, November.
    3. Carlianne Patrick & Amanda Ross & Heather Stephens, 2016. "Designing Policies to Spur Economic Growth: How Regional Scientists Can Contribute to Future Policy Development and Evaluation," Working Papers 16-04, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.
    4. Timothy J. Bartik, 2020. "Using Place-Based Jobs Policies to Help Distressed Communities," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 34(3), pages 99-127, Summer.
    5. Matias Busso & Patrick Kline, 2008. "Do Local Economic Development Programs Work? Evidence from the Federal Empowerment Zone Program," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1639, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    6. Timothy J. Bartik & Nathan Sotherland, 2019. "Local Job Multipliers in the United States: Variation with Local Characteristics and with High-Tech Shocks," Upjohn Working Papers 19-301, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    7. Joyendu Bhadury & Samuel P. Troy, 2014. "Staid," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 28(4), pages 364-376, November.
    8. Raven E. Saks & Abigail Wozniak, 2011. "Labor Reallocation over the Business Cycle: New Evidence from Internal Migration," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 29(4), pages 697-739.
    9. Gibbons, Stephen & Overman, Henry & Sarvimäki, Matti, 2021. "The local economic impacts of regeneration projects: Evidence from UK's single regeneration budget," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    10. Mark D. Partridge & Dan S. Rickman & M. Rose Olfert & Ying Tan, 2015. "When Spatial Equilibrium Fails: Is Place-Based Policy Second Best?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(8), pages 1303-1325, August.
    11. Nicholas Sheard, 2019. "Airport Size and Urban Growth," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 86(342), pages 300-335, April.
    12. Krupka, Douglas J. & Noonan, Douglas S., 2009. "Empowerment Zones, neighborhood change and owner-occupied housing," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 386-396, July.
    13. Timothy J. Bartik, 2015. "How Effects of Local Labor Demand Shocks Vary with the Initial Local Unemployment Rate," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(4), pages 529-557, December.
    14. Timothy J. Bartik, 2009. "The Revitalization of Older Industrial Cities: A Review Essay of Retooling for Growth," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(1), pages 1-29, March.
    15. Bound, John & Holzer, Harry J, 2000. "Demand Shifts, Population Adjustments, and Labor Market Outcomes during the 1980s," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 18(1), pages 20-54, January.
    16. Nicholas Sheard, 2015. "Airport Improvements and Urban Growth," Working Papers halshs-01117913, HAL.
    17. Mark Partridge & Dan Rickman, 2010. "Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Modelling for Regional Economic Development Analysis," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(10), pages 1311-1328.
    18. Patrick Kline & Enrico Moretti, 2014. "People, Places, and Public Policy: Some Simple Welfare Economics of Local Economic Development Programs," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 6(1), pages 629-662, August.
    19. Roberta Moraes Rocha & Breno Caldas Araújo, 2021. "Local multiplier effect of the tradable sector on the Brazilian labor market," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 269-286, December.
    20. Benjamin Austin & Edward Glaeser & Lawrence Summers, 2018. "Jobs for the Heartland: Place-Based Policies in 21st-Century America," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 49(1 (Spring), pages 151-255.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    economic development; urban; regional; evaluation; incentives;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R1 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:upj:uchaps:tjbrdb1997. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.upjohn.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.