Data and Code for: America, Jump-started: World War II R&D and the Takeoff of the U.S. Innovation System

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Daniel P. Gross, Duke University; Bhaven N. Sampat, Columbia University

Version: View help for Version V1

Name	File Type	Size	Last Modified
Code			09/19/2023 08:42:AM
Data			09/18/2023 09:08:AM
Output			09/17/2023 09:48:AM
readme.pdf	application/pdf	191.8 KB	09/17/2023 05:50:AM

Project Citation:

Gross, Daniel P., and Sampat, Bhaven N. Data and Code for: America, Jump-started: World War II R&D and the Takeoff of the U.S. Innovation System. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2023. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-11-22. https://doi.org/10.3886/E192375V1

Project Description

Summary: This replication package provides datasets and replication code to reproduce the figures and tables in the following article:

Gross, Daniel P. and Bhaven N. Sampat. “America, Jump-started: World War II R&D and the Takeoff of the U.S. Innovation System.” Forthcoming at American Economic Review.

Funding Sources: National Science Foundation (1951470); National Bureau of Economic Research (Innovation Policy grant)

Scope of Project

Subject Terms: World War II; OSRD; Government R&D; Applied R&D policy; National innovation systems; Technology clusters

JEL Classification:
      H56 National Security and War
      N42 Economic History: Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation: U.S.; Canada: 1913-
      N72 Economic History: Transport, Trade, Energy, Technology, and Other Services: U.S.; Canada: 1913-
      O31 Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
      O32 Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
      O33 Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
      O38 Technological Change: Government Policy
      R11 Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
      R12 Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity

Geographic Coverage: United States

Time Period(s): 1920 – 1979

Collection Date(s): 2016 – 2022 (Data collected from historical records)

Universe: U.S. patents issued between 1920 and 1979
U.K. and French patents issued between 1920 and 1979
County x SIC industrial employment in 1980
County x SIC D&B company listings in 1980

Data Type(s): administrative records data; observational data

Collection Notes: This replication package includes data obtained from archival records of the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (Record Group 227).

Methodology

Sampling: Key datasets cover the universe of USPTO patents issued between 1920 and 1979, and the universe of patents which resulted from OSRD-funded research in World War II.

Data Source:

This replication package combines data from approximately 20 sources. Essential datasets have been produced on patents and patent statistics, county-level industrial employment, and county-level firm creation. See readme file for further details.

Unit(s) of Observation: Country, CBSA, County, Technology area

Related Publications

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Published Versions

V1 [2023-11-22]

Export Metadata

Dublin Core

DDI 2.5

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