Understanding The Local Economy

Program Curriculum

A recent publication of the Southern Rural Development Center discusses the importance of rural proprietors as rural communities continue to loose jobs in the farming, logging and mining industries. As these jobs decline, rural communities are increasingly interested in questions related to how the local economy "works" and what strategies they should pursue as they seek to improve the prospects for local development, new job creation and increased income for residents. The Southern Rural Development Center has a downloadable curriculum titled "Community Choices Public Policy Education Program: Exploring the Human Resources/Economic Development Connection."

One module from this curriculum is titled "Understanding the Local Economy." This module's objective is to develop the necessary understanding to identify and discuss economic development issues at the local level. The module focuses on the economic environment within which human capital investment takes place. Specifically, this session focuses on understanding the local economy through the following topics: Presenting export base theory as a model of the way a local economy works; Relating the general export base framework to the participants' state and community; and Using the community's economic framework to address the concept economic development and to introduce a variety of programs to encourage local economic development.

The curriculum can be used by Extension Agents and Specialists to work with local communities and policy-makers to educate them on how an economy works and what options are available to expand the community's economic base.