An information economy is inherently global in reach. Miles Fidelman, president of the Center for Civic Networking, persuasively argues that cities must and can play a key role in designing a telecommunications system that serves the public interest. Yet Congress and the courts are increasingly stripping cities and states of the authority to act on behalf of their citizens in this arena. Sometimes the contempt that policymakers feel for place verges on the absurd. Free traders like Bill Clinton criticize such labeling as protectionist.
Globalization pervades all areas of the economy.
Charles Dolan's Cablevision owns the New York Knicks and Rangers, as well as Madison Square Garden. Rupert Murdoch's vast communications and entertainment empire owns the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their relationship to the place their teams inhabit is tenuous. But as Daniel Kraker notes, the minor leagues are an entirely different ball game. This is the year we debate policy.