Appalachian Regional Development Act
The Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965 established the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), which was tasked with overseeing economic development programs in the Appalachia region, as well as the construction of the Appalachian Development Highway System.[1] Membership included representatives from New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, as well as one federal appointee.[2]
History
In the 1960s, one in three Appalachians lived in poverty. Per capita income in the Appalachian region was 23 percent lower than the U.S. average, and high unemployment forced millions to seek work outside the region.[3]
In 1963, President John F. Kennedy created the President's Appalachian Regional Commission (PARC).[4] President Lyndon B. Johnson used a PARC report as a basis for legislation. In 1964, he sent a request to Congress to send special aid to the economically depressed region as part of the War on Poverty.[5] The Senate passed a bill close to the president's request, but the House failed to pass a bill before the 88th Congress adjourned.
In 1965, Senator Jennings Randolph (D-WV) introduced an administration-backed Appalachian aid bill (S.3) calling for more than $1 billion in federal assistance to the region. The Public Works Committee reported the bill to the Senate on January 27, 1965, and the Senate passed the bill on February 1, 1965, with a vote of 62-22.
The Senate passed the Appalachian Regional Development Act (S.3) on February 1, 1965.
The House of Representatives reported the bill on February 17, 1965, and passed the House with a 257-165 roll call vote on March 3, 1965. President Johnson signed the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965 into law on March 9, 1965.[6]
A 2019 study found that the construction of the Appalachian Development Highway System led to economic net gains of $54 billion (approximately 0.4 percent of national income) and boosted incomes in the Appalachian region by reducing the costs of trade.[7]
References
^ "Appalachian Regional Development Act". The Great Society Congress. Association of Centers for the Study of Congress. Retrieved 6 April 2016..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ "ARC Members, Partners, and Staff". Appalachian Regional Commission. Appalachian Regional Commission. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
^ "ARC History". Appalachian Regional Commission. Appalachian Regional Commission. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
^ "ARC History". Appalachian Regional Commission. Appalachian Regional Commission. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
^ "Two 50-Year-Old Programs Still Fighting the War on Poverty". WV Public Broadcasting. WV Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
^ "Appalachian and Regional Development Act". The Great Society Congress. Association of Centers for the Study of Congress. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
^ Jaworski, Taylor; Kitchens, Carl T. (2018-12-21). "National Policy for Regional Development: Historical Evidence from Appalachian Highways". The Review of Economics and Statistics. doi:10.1162/rest_a_00808. ISSN 0034-6535.
External Resources
The Great Society Congress
