The Rise of the Gunbelt The Military Remapping of Industrial America

by Markusen, Ann; Hall, Peter; Campbell, Scott; Deitrick, Sabina

• ISBN13: 9780195066487
• ISBN10: 0195066480
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1991-07-25
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Since World War II, America's economic landscape has undergone a profound transformation. The effects of this change can be seen in the decline of the traditional industrial heartland and the emergence of new high tech industrial complexes in California, Texas, Boston, and Florida. The Rise of the Gunbelt demonstrates that this economic restructuring is a direct result of the rise of the military industrial complex (MIC) and a wholly new industry based on defense spending and Pentagon contacts. Chronicling the dramatic growth of this vast complex, the authors analyze the roles played by the shift from land and sea warfare to aerial combat in World War II, the Cold War, the birth of aerospace and the consequent radical transformation of the airplane industry, and labor and major defense corporations such as Boeing, Lockheed, and McDonnell Douglas. Exploring the reasons for the shifts in defense spending--including the role of lobbyists and the Department of Defense in awarding contracts--and the effects on regional and national economic development, this comprehensive study reveals the complexities of the MIC.

Table of Contents

Figures	p. xi
Tables	p. xiii
Introduction: The Rise of the Gunbelt	p. 3
The Military Remapping of America	p. 8
Reading the Map: A Theory of Military-Industrial Places	p. 26
The Third Coast: Aviation Pioneers Exit the Midwest	p. 51
Aerospace Capital of the World: Los Angeles Takes Off	p. 82
The Winning Transition Team: Props, Jets, and Avionics in New England	p. 118
Seattle: Aerospace Company City	p. 148
Space Mountain: Generals and Boosters Build Colorado Springs	p. 174
The Eavesdroppers: SDI, Software, and Lobbying in the Nation's Capital	p. 211
Why the Gunbelt?	p. 230
Appendix	p. 257
Notes	p. 271
References	p. 301
Index	p. 329
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