The economic development of Central Appalachia: An annotated bibliography

The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to assist interested persons in gaining access to materials relevant to efforts aimed at improving economic development in Central Appalachia. Its intent is to present relevant articles related to the field of economic development in Central Appalachia. Economic Development in Central Appalachia has been a critical issue in United States since long before the formation of the Appalachian Regional Commission in the mid-1960s. At the urging of two U.S. presidents, Congress created legislation to address the persistent poverty and growing economic despair of the Appalachian Region. A few statistics tell the story of the time and the reason for a focus on Appalachia: • One of every three Appalachians lived in poverty • Per capita income was 23 percent lower than the U.S. average • High unemployment and harsh living conditions had, in the 1950s, forced more than 2 million Appalachians to leave their homes and seek work in other regions. (Appalachian Regional Commission) The works included are representative of the following: (a) theoretical statements, (b) empirical studies, (c) conceptual formulations, (d) case studies, (e) descriptive articles that present techniques used in economic development endeavors. Abstracts of the articles and books contain descriptions of the primary ideas and a listing of major topics is included. A table of contents is provided for articles and books, including a list of author surnames in alphabetical order. Author and topic indices follow the article abstracts.