The Rise and Fall of Sun, Rust, and Frost Belts

Despite a dramatic turnaround in regional fortunes that has witnessed a return to prosperity among many Frostbelt states and severe dislocations in most Sunbelt states, outdated and inaccurate perceptions of regional growth and decline in the United States persist. The authors document this role reversal and challenge the utility of conventional theory-based explanations of regional growth and decline. Offering an alternative explanation for patterns of regional change, they recast the process in the context of an evolving global economy, the international business cycle, and an altered federal environment. The authors conclude that federal, state, and local policymakers have been hampered by conventional perceptions of regional growth and decline, and they suggest some broad policy initiatives to encourage more balanced regional development.