Is the World "Flat" or "Spiky"? Rethinking the Governance Implications of Globalization for Economic Development

Recently, two very different diagnoses and potential "cures" for the globalization challenges facing state and local economic development have attracted considerable media attention: the argument offered by journalist Thomas Friedman in his book The World Is Flat and that of economic development specialist Richard Florida in The Rise of the Creative Class. Which one is correct? The authors of this essay compare and contrast both sides of the Friedman-Florida debate, its theoretical roots, normative assumptions, plus practical implications for public administrators, elected officials, and stakeholders confronting difficult economic development choices nowadays. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]