Political Leaders as Entrepreneurs? Economic Development in Small Communities

While local government officials are heavily involved in the implementation of rural economic development efforts in rural and other small communities, they are much less represented among the initiators of such projects. A major reason is that elected political leaders generally lack the skills, motivations, and priorities demanded of economic development entrepreneurship. A review of 17 successful cases of smalltown development, which compares project initiators and their actions, suggests several critical differences between local political leadership and entrepreneurship. Elected officials in small towns generally are adverse to risk-taking, easily become preoccupied with routine matters, lack the driving force of political ambition, and accept the preeminence of business people and other leaders in the economic development arena.