Treating development networks seriously: What public managers should know

In recent years, local governments have concentrated on revitalizing their local economies through economic development policy, which raises a number of important political and legal issues. However, the political attraction of jobs, the popularity of professional sports, and the public's anticipation of obtaining “big league” status stifle a critical probing of these issues. One result has been a systematic pattern of one-sided interactions in favor of entrepreneurs, particularly those who control professional sports franchises. This pattern threatens to undermine the effectiveness and legitimacy of the development policymaking process. This article clarifies these costly though less obvious issues and provides a framework for considering them more candidly, and hopefully, more effectively.