Abstract

The overall rise in inequality in the USA since 1980 has been matched by a rise in inequality between places; local and regional development policies aimed at reversing this polarisation have seen limited success. We propose an explanation for the spatial polarisation of prosperity and the failure of the policies to remedy it. Our explanation is based on the interaction of monopoly power, agglomeration economies in technology clusters and the power of financial sector actors over non-financial firms—all phenomena characteristic of the post-1980 economy. We review evidence for each of these elements and propose some causal relationships between them, as an outline of an ongoing research programme.

中文翻译：

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区域收入差距，垄断与金融

摘要

自1980年以来，美国不平等的总体上升与地方之间不平等的上升相提并论。旨在扭转这种两极分化的地方和区域发展政策取得的成功有限。我们提出了对繁荣的空间两极分化以及政策无法补救的解释。我们的解释是基于垄断力量，技术集群中的集聚经济以及金融部门行为者对非金融公司的力量之间的相互作用，而这一切都是1980年后经济的特征。我们审查了每个要素的证据，并提出了它们之间的因果关系，作为正在进行的研究计划的概述。