Rural development through business establishments in Mississippi

Rural development is a controversial issue. There are several definitions on what constitute rural development. The scholarly debate about development is also ambiguous. For example, while one may argue that the United States is undeniably a developed country, the disparity between its mega cities and rural districts is a matter of great concern. Attempts to bridge this gap of underdevelopment in rural America, debatably, have failed. Several reasons may account for this disparity, but two reasons stand out: lack of rural development policy and using urban theories to addressing rural issues.; This study uses an elaborative mixed method approach to test the hypotheses stated in this project. The proposed research questions include: (1) Do rural communities in Mississippi have the necessary resources for development in order to be independent? (2) Does race affect rural development in Mississippi? and Why does underdevelopment persist in rural Mississippi? One possible solution scholars have tabled to address underdevelopment is sub-state structures like the Mississippi Planning and Development Districts (MPDDs). However, despite the global acceptability of such structures, rural America unfortunately is not benefiting from the concept while such areas continuously lose new few businesses that locate there. This dissertation fills the gaps left in the literature that despite the theoretical appropriateness of sub-state political and economic structures, rural America especially Mississippi's poor districts, would need both financial and technical assistance from the state to develop.; The analyses showed that despite the rurality of Mississippi, agriculture is not the leading industry in the state. The findings showed that an extensive road network to the rural areas would help businesses locate in rural districts. The variables used helped to explain the notion that mere political and economic structures, without financial support and interest from the state, would not create businesses for development. The information provided by this research project is important because the data analyses show that rural Mississippi needs the same facilities provided to urban areas. To balance the creation of businesses in the state, the legislature needs to rethink it policies on rural development.