Bidding for Business: The Efficacy of Local Economic Development Incentives in a Metropolitan Area

Anderson and Wassmer (economics, U. of Nebraska-Lincoln and public policy and administration, California State U.-Sacramento, respectively) examine the use and effectiveness of local economic development incentives within a region or metropolitan area through a case examination of Detroit, Michigan. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

John E. Anderson earned his Ph.D. in economics at the Claremont Graduate School in 1977. As a graduate student, he received a Lincoln Institute of Land Policy fellowship that enabled him to study urban economics and public finance under the direction of Colin Wright. He has taught economics at Eastern Michigan University, Michigan State University, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received the College of Business Administration Distinguished Teaching Award in 1995 and the Omicron Delta Epsilon Economics Professor of the Year Award in 1997. In addition to his academic interests in teaching and research, Dr. Anderson has public policy interests, principally illustrated by his service as the Deputy Treasurer of the State of Michigan during 1985 and 1986. He is a frequent consultant to federal and state government agencies on issues of tax policy, and an active participant in the activities of the National Tax Association. Dr. Anderson has published numerous scholarly studies in leading academic journals such as the Journal of Urban Economics, Regional Science and Urban Economics, Land Economics, Journal of Regional Science, National Tax Journal, Public Finance, International Tax and Public Finance, and others. He edited Fiscal Equalization for State and Local Government Finance, published by Preager Press (1994).

Robert W. Wassmer received his Ph.D. in Economics from Michigan State University in 1989. Before completing his doctorate, Wassmer worked summers in Michigan's Department of Commerce and Treasury (under the direction of John Anderson). In 1988 - 1989, Wassmer was a visiting economics instructor at Eastern Michigan University. From 1989 to 1995, Dr. Wassmer was an Assistant Professor of Economics, and a Coordinate Faculty of the College of Urban, Labor, and Metropolitan Affairs, at Wayne State University. He currently is a Professor in the Graduate Program in Public Policy and Administration at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS). Professor Wassmer is coordinator of the system-wide California State University Faculty Fellows Applied Research Program. Professor Wassmer's earlier research efforts have resulted in scholarly articles in Environment and Planning C, Land Economics, The National Tax Journal, Public Choice, Urban Studies, Public Budgeting and Finance, Public Finance Review, and the Journal of Urban Economics. Blackwell recently published Wassmer's edited collection Readings in Urban Economics: Issues and Public Policy (2000).