Plant Closings: Public or Private Choices?

Advocates of “economic democracy” complain that plant closings and relocations leave communities disrupted and local tax bases eroded. They propose remedies that would greatly restrict the mobility of businesses and in some cases require “restitution” payments to the affected community. The plant closing battle has shifted from Washington, D.C. to the states, with at least 21 states introducing restrictive legislation. In these essays, Professor Richard McKenzie and other authors take a critical look at plant closing laws and industrial policy.

Richard B. McKenzie is a professor of economics at the University of California, Irvine and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute. He is also the author of The American Job Machine.