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The Federal Government Role in the Development of the American Software Industry: An Assessment

Author

Listed:
  • Richard N. Langlois

    (The University of Connecticut)

  • David C. Mowery

    (University of California, Berkeley)

Abstract

This paper is an interpretive history of federal support for the American software industry from its beginnings through the 1980s. As in other high-technology cases, federal _ especially defense-related _ support for software was crucial early in the technology's development, but the flow of spillovers quickly began to reverse as military needs diverged from those of a burgeoning commercial market. The case of software differs from those of other high-technology industries, however, in the specific nature and evolution of military-civilian spillovers within software as well as in the role of federally funded university research within the industry's development.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard N. Langlois & David C. Mowery, 1995. "The Federal Government Role in the Development of the American Software Industry: An Assessment," Industrial Organization 9503001, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpio:9503001
    Note: 84 pages. To appear in David C. Mowery, ed., The International Computer Software Industry: A Comparative Study of Industrial Evolution and Structure. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kenneth Arrow, 1962. "Economic Welfare and the Allocation of Resources for Invention," NBER Chapters, in: The Rate and Direction of Inventive Activity: Economic and Social Factors, pages 609-626, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nicolas Jullien & Jean-Benoît Zimmermann, 2011. "FLOSS in an industrial economics perspective," Revue d'économie industrielle, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(4), pages 39-64.
    2. Ohta, Hirofumi & Motohashi, Kazuyuki, 2011. "Accumulation and Circulation of the Knowledge Needed for Biotech Business Promotion by Engineers of R&D Section in an IT Enterprise: The Case of Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd," MPRA Paper 50097, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Murmann, J. Peter, 2002. "The coevolution of industries and national institutions: Theory and evidence," Discussion Papers, various Research Units FS IV 02-14, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    4. David Mowery, 2011. "Nanotechnology and the US national innovation system: continuity and change," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 36(6), pages 697-711, December.
    5. David Mowery, 2009. "National security and national innovation systems," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 34(5), pages 455-473, October.

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    • L - Industrial Organization

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