ABSTRACT
Rural communities continue to react to rapid socioeconomic changes both within and outside of their political boundaries. The restructuring of the national economy towards professional and services enterprises which occurred during the 1980s has posed serious problems for rural communities whose economies are dependent upon extractive and production industries. Confronting fundamental macroeconomic restructuring of the national economy has been the norm for the residents of America's rural communities. The plight of rural people and their communities has gained increased national attention. Three traditional concerns of past rural development efforts have been the focus: economic development, infrastructure maintenance and enhancement, and the quality of the human resources base. The uneven economic fortunes for rural America in the 1980s were also associated with a new policy direction. The restructuring of the national economy will continue to make many rural communities marginal participants in national economic prosperity.
