Abstract
How fast will California grow? Will the state continue to attract new business, new industry, and new people? Will it continue to increase its economic well-being over the decades ahead? The answers will depend, in part, on the decisions that private and public leaders of California make today. The answers will also depend, in part, on events which occur outside California. The conditions that arise from both these sources will determine California's comparative advantages and will thus determine the degree to which this state will be able to attract from beyond its borders the many elements required for its economic growth. First, some projections of economic growth for California over the next decade will be discussed. These projections are based on an analysis, using three alternative models: one model assumes that our present mixed bag of policies will continue; the second assumes full employment; the third assumes a cutback in defense expenditures. Second, some of the specific elements which will determine California's comparative advantage for economic growth will be noted. Third, in view of these projections and an understanding of over-all comparative advantage determinants, a number of policy measures will be recommended. Their purpose is to enhance the chances that the full potential of California's comparative advantage will, in fact, be developed.