Defense-Related Ramp;D and the Growth of the Postwar Information Technology Industrial Complex in the United States

摘要

The U.S federal government, especially the Department of Defense, played a substantial role in the development of the electronic computer, computer software, and semiconductor components industries, and the resulting development of the Internet. Federal R&D investment, procurement policies, and spillovers of technologies from military to civilian applications contributed to the industrial and technological development of these sectors. We examine the changing role of the federal government in these sectors over time, highlighting the critical impor tance of such involvement in early industry development and the fading of this role over time. We conclude with some discussion of the potential implications of post-9/11 changes in federal R&D spen ding.