The Manufacturing/Rust Belt and Regional US Growth 1880-2010

Prof. Alexander Klein walks us through what the data reveal about US manufacturing since 1880. Why did manufacturing cluster in some regions? We discuss "first nature" and "second nature" geography explanations. Which regions "survived" the aftermath of manufacturing and why did others fall behind? We discuss the definition of the manufacturing belt and trace in employment numbers its rise and fall. Alex leans against the "China shock" as being the core explanation of the decline of the region, though we also consider the decline in national manufacturing employment, where such an explanation does play a role.