Rethinking Competitiveness

Few politicians can make a speech concerning economic policy without using the term “competitiveness.” Yet, despite its frequent and casual use, there is little if any agreement on its meaning. Scholars have been slow to embrace the term, holding a healthy skepticism toward such political utterances. The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) brought together experts from a variety of fields to discuss the issue of competitiveness and how it may influence their disciplines. This volume is composed of nine prominent scholars' interpretations of and answers to the question: “If ‘competitiveness’ were to have a rigorous and relevant meaning in your field, what might that be?” The conclusions these papers reach enrich the debate on what competitiveness is and how policymakers should strive to support it in the realms of tax policy, education policy, immigration, health care, international trade and much more.