Making coal pay: The conversion of natural resources to economic resources in Southern Appalachia: The case of eastern Kentucky

This analysis follows up earlier empirical research in Appalachian Kentucky on how coal production influences socioeconomic development and still earlier research on dimensions of development. The research issue approached here is what factors affect counties' ability to convert a natural resource, coal, to an economic resource, income. The answer appears to be that counties that are more effective are more developed and those less effective are less developed.