Higher Education and Economic Growth

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-x

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2. Preview of Higher Education and Economic Growth

   • William E. Becker, Darrell R. Lewis

   Pages 1-20

3. Higher Education and Economic Growth

   • Stephen A. Hoenack

   Pages 21-50

4. Higher Education, Economic Growth, and Earnings

   • John Pencavel

   Pages 51-85

5. Is Public Education Productive?

   • David Alan Aschauer

   Pages 87-104

6. The Contribution of Higher Education to R&D and Productivity Growth

   • Walter W. McMahon

   Pages 105-127

7. The Effects of Higher Education on Unemployment Rates

   • Wayne J. Howe

   Pages 129-143

8. Quality of Higher Education and Economic Growth in the United States

   • Lewis C. Solmon, Cheryl L. Fagnano

   Pages 145-161

9. Higher Education, Business Creation, and Economic Growth in the American States

   • Bryan D. Jones, Arnold Vedlitz

   Pages 163-176

10. Back Matter

    Pages 177-182

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After decades of effortless growth and prosperity, America's postsecondary institutions of education have come under increasing financial stress and waning public support. In part, this stress reflects a slowdown in the real rate of national economic growth and the loss of federal and state revenues for education generally. It also reflects a trend of state legislatures simply giving higher education an ever lower ranking on the list of funding priorities. Postsecondary educational institutions in the United States will continue to face increasing financial stress and waning public support as critics question the contribution of higher education to economic growth, which historically has been a major rationale for funding. Unless the trends in education financing can be changed, higher edu­ cation can be expected to stagnate. What, if anything, can be done? As a starting point, advocates of higher education need to more fully recognize the important ways in which higher education influences technological change and also is influenced by that change. As demonstrated by the chapters in this book, higher education is not a neutral or passive player in economic growth. This volume addresses topics related to the role of postsecondary education in national economic development within the United States.

• Economic Development
• economic growth
• education
• growth
• higher education
• quality
• teaching

• Indiana University, USA

  William E. Becker

• University of Minnesota, USA

  Darrell R. Lewis

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