Swimming Against the Current: The Rise of a Hidden Developmental State in the United States
2008/05/21 by Fred Block · 658 citations
Business, Management and Accounting · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Social Sciences · #Developmental state #Economic growth #Economics #Government (linguistics) #Innovation Policy and R&D #Law #Mainstream #Political economy #Political science #Politics #Private sector #Public administration #Public policy #Regional Development and Policy #State (computer science) #University-Industry-Government Innovation Models
paper · doi:10.1177/0032329208318731
published in Politics & Society 36(2), 169-206 (SAGE Publishing)
openalex publication_date 2008/05/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
Abstract
Despite the dominant role of market fundamentalist ideas in U.S. politics over the last thirty years, the Federal government has dramatically expanded its capacity to finance and support efforts of the private sector to commercialize new technologies. But the partisan logic of U.S. politics has worked to make these efforts invisible to mainstream public debate. The consequence is that while this “hidden developmental state” has had a major impact on the structure of the U.S. national innovation system, its ability to be effective in the future is very much in doubt. The article ends by arguing that the importance of these developmental initiatives to the U.S. economy could present a significant opening for new progressive initiatives.
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