The positive effects of micro-loans on the impoverished has become veritable gospel to economic development professionals. Pioneered by Muhammed Yunus in the 1970s, the concept of making small loans to groups of poor entrepreneurs has become a mainstream tool of development and poverty reduction agents around the globe. However, little research has been done at this time into the microeconomic mechanics of small scale finance, especially the different outcomes of the loan depending on what sector of the economy the debtor is engaged in. A simulation designed to pursue further understanding of this subject, and conducted in partnership with Opportunity International, a micro-finance NGO, and the Westmont Investment Club, reveals whether different outcomes of a micro-loan were caused by a debtor's location in the production chain.
The Creative Class and Economic Development as Practiced in the Rural U.S. South: An Exploratory Survey of Economic Development Professionals