Balanced Population and Economic Growth: Policy and Research

Abstract

T HE NATIONAL DIALOGUE underway on the population distribution aspects of rural development is mainly talk about the problems or concerns believed to be due to high rates of rural-to-urban migration. It is not a discussion about specific policy options and consequences. There does not now exist, nor has there ever existed, either a national consensus upon, or a commitment to, an explicit national policy1 on the geographical distribution of the population. Nor is there a clearly defined operational set of national policy options which could be the basis of debate, political support, national commitment, policy and program development and action.2 Although balanced growth or population distribution policy logically should be a component of or a strategy within national growth policy, I will proceed on the premise that this component relating to the geographical distribution of people and economic activity can be a separate and identifiable national policy. The unsatisfactory state of population distribution, balanced growth, or rural development policy reflects in part either an inadequate or an inaccessible knowledge base. I do not believe the thrusts of ongoing rural development research at the state universities or elsewhere provide promise of producing the needed knowledge base prerequisite to development of a sound national rural development policy. What appears needed are arrangements for committing a significant portion of the research resources in rural development to projects in direct support of national policy-making processes affecting the geographical distribution of population and economic activity.