Introduction. Clarifying previous thinking -- The nature and importance of local economic development -- Estimated economic development effects of well-designed business incentive programs -- The economic development effects of high-quality early childhood programs -- Design matters : what features of business incentive programs and early childhood programs affect their economic development benefits? -- Dealing with the known unknowns : how policymakers should deal with dueling estimates from researchers -- Bringing the future into the present : how policymakers should deal with the delayed benefits of early childhood programs -- Who benefits? Distributional effects of early childhood programs and business incentives, and their implications for policy -- Locality matters : how economic development benefits vary in diverse local economies -- The national perspective : how local business incentives and early childhood programs affect the national economy -- The ethics of early childhood programs and business incentives -- Extending economic development analysis to other human development programs : education, public health, crime reduction -- Thinking and acting locally : what potential is there for local support for high-quality early childhood programs?.