In Marysville, Ohio; Georgetown, Kentucky; and Smyrna and Spring Hill, Tennessee, life will never again be the same. Once small rural communities, they're now boom towns-thanks to Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and Saturn.

It's happening all over America: communities desperate for economic development lure large companies looking for a docile labor force, cheap real estate, and an alternative to the regulations of cities. But what happens to a small town when it successfully attracts corporate America (or corporate Japan)? As Michele Hoyman shows, from the announcement of plant siting until long after it opens, the town's rural lifestyle is dramatically transformed through radical changes in its politics, public administration, schools, traffic patterns, real estate values, water and sewage systems, police and fire protection, and cultural views.

“Essential reading for any social scientist interested in economic change, economic development and job creation in rural areas.”

—H-Net Reviews

“Hoyman has collected significant data and, more importantly, has tested and elaborated a framework designed to guide research into how small rural communities shape and react to their new location in the global economy.”

—Labor History

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“Offers a great deal to anyone involved in major economic development projects, providing insight to those working in both rural and urban environments.”

—Public Productivity and Management Review

“A clever and timely book.”

—Perspectives on Political Science

“Power Steering convincingly demonstrates that the impacts of plant sitings are not only economic, but political, administrative, and cultural as well. Indeed, such sitings or any major economic development can transform an entire community.”

—John Portz, author of The Politics of Plant Closings

“Hoyman’s dynamic conception of the impact process adds something essential to our understanding of her subject and holds the potential to fundamentally influence and enrich the literature on economic development.”

—Dennis R. Judd, editor of Leadership and Urban Regeneration

“Critical reading not just for those interested in the political economy of industrial location, but also for students of the theory and practice of public administration.”

—Bryan Jones, coauthor of The Sustaining Hand: Community Leadership and Corporate Power

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In Power Steering, Hoyman chronicles such transformations in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee, shows how they emerged, and explains why they matter. She skillfully interweaves agenda-setting theory with impact analysis to demonstrate that economic development is an ongoing process with identifiable stages, not merely a final set of outcomes. Drawing upon extensive interviews with community leaders, public opinion polls, and in-depth analyses of town budgets, she creates a richly detailed study that clearly delineates the economic, social, and political impacts associated with corporate forays into the hinterlands.

Providing a wealth of detail for scholars and administrators, Hoyman's study also offers a thoughtful guide for any community attempting to attract similar industries. For example, she cautions communities to avoid giving away too much in tax incentives and environmental control waivers, lest those long-term costs undermine the short-term benefits provided by the corporation. Balanced and insightful, her work provides concrete examples of how America's rural towns are using the new global economy to help shape more promising futures for themselves.