Title

Preliminary Assessment of Statutory Compliance of 4A and 4B Economic Development Corporations in Texas with the Development Corporation Act of 1979

Document Type

Research Report

Comments


An Applied Research Project (Political Science 5397) Submitted to the Department of Political Science, Texas State University-San Marcos, in Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Public Administration, Spring, 2009.
Faculty Approval:
Dr. Patricia Shields
Dr. Thomas Longoria
Melody Kuhns, MPA

Abstract

This paper is a preliminary assessment of compliance of Texas 4A and 4B economic development corporations against the Development Corporation Act of 1979. This research reviews scholarly literature to examine the definition, theories and process of economic development. This paper evaluates the economic development process at federal, state, and local government, focusing on local economic development to estimate compliance. A framework that links economic theory to practice of economic development is established through a review of related law. The practical focus of the research is on allowable and non-allowable projects undertaken by Texas 4A and 4B economic development corporations. Preliminary findings of a Texas 4A and 4B economic development corporations survey, suggest a level of non-compliance that merits further research and possible changes to the law to establish an oversight mechanism.