Crisis in rural America is by now an all too familiar complaint, yet the problems presented by changing demographics, economic decline, and increasing poverty persist. They have not vanished with a new administration. However, with a new farm bill in the offing, now is the time for a fresh initiative to assess the difficulties facing nonurban America and to offer positive solutions. Rural Policies for the 1990s, written by some of the foremost experts on rural America, focuses on policy-relevant research. Within a carefully crafted framework, the contributors present stimulating discussions on resolving problems and improving the situation in rural areas. Looking at the crucial issues of employment, demographics, environment, technology, and the global impacts of national and international policies, they offer a broad analysis that is neither regionally based nor biased. The result is not an advocacy book, but one that effectively enhances our understanding of the problems facing rural America and presents concrete proposals for revitalizing it.

Combining revised presentations to the 1992 Annual Conference of the Irish Planning Institution and commissioned papers, 16 studies report on sectarian, social, and policy issues related to rural development in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The topics include agriculture, forestry, tourism, housing, health care, schools, government and community participation in making policy, and ongoing programs. No index. Acidic paper. Distributed in the US by Ashgate. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Bank lending for agriculture and rural development from the 1970s to the 1980s: will the decline continue? Anticipating the challenges of the 1990s. Regional variations.

A study of policy-relevant research that addresses the issues of employment, demographics, environment and technology that must be dealt with to improve the situation in rural areas of the USA. It offers a broad perspective on the problems and presents proposals for revitalizing rural America.