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Spring 2011

ISSN 0890-913X

Volume 26, Number 2

Categories: Economics | Spring 2011

I Think I Can! Does The Little Engine That Could Matter?

Bruce Yandle, Mercatus Center at George Mason University and Clemson University

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TheJournalofPrivateEnterprise26(2),2011,127-142IThinkICan!DoesTheLittleEngineThatCouldMatter?BruceYandle*ClemsonUniversityGeorgeMasonUniversityAbstractEarlyworkbypsychologistDavidMcClellandregardingthechildhoodformationoftheneedtoachieveinacountryandlatereconomicgrowthsoughttosolveoneofthemajoreconomicdevelopmentpuzzles.OneofMcClelland’sfindingsshowedarelationshipbetweenthefrequencyofthemesofachievementfoundinliteraturereadbychildrenandlatereconomicdevelopment.Otherresearchersexplored,denied,andbuttressedtheMcClellandfinding.Today,U.S.organizationsarepromotingearlyreadingprogramsthatincludestoriesthatemphasizeachievement.Earlyevidencesuggeststheprogramsaffectacademicperformance,butwilltheyaffectachievement?Andwillthatachievementpromoteeconomicgrowthorstagnation?Institutionsandtheirrelatedincentivesspeaktothesequestions.JELCodes:A14,D3,L26,I21Keywords:Achievement;Motivation;Entrepreneurship;EconomicdevelopmentI.IntroductionIn1954,Platt&MunkpublishedTheLittleEngineThatCould,achildren’sstorywrittenunderthepseudonymofWattyPiper.Thebasicstoryaboutoptimism,self-determination,andsuccessbroughtbydintofhardworkhadbeenaroundfordecades.Itstrueauthorshipisunknown.Indeed,thestorymaysimplybepartofalongoraltradition.Whatevertheorigins,TheLittleEngineThatCouldispartoftheAmericanethos.Thestorypromotestraitsthatarefundamentaltopersonalachievementincludingbeliefthathardwork,persistence,andoptimismwillleadtosuccess.Thisisthestuff*TheauthorexpressesappreciationtoTateWatkinsforhisassistancewiththisproject,toRogerE.Meiners,andanonymousrefereesofthisjournalforhelpfulcomments.127

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Title	I Think I Can! Does The Little Engine That Could Matter?
Authors/Creators:	Bruce Yandle, Mercatus Center at George Mason University and Clemson University
Year:	2011
Volume:	26
Number:	2
Pages:	127 - 142
Publisher:	The Association of Private Enterprise Education
ISSN:	0890-913X
Document Type:	Articles
Keywords:	Economic development, Achievement, Motivation, Entrepreneurship, Psychology, David McClelland

Citation:
Yandle, Bruce / 2011. "I Think I Can! Does The Little Engine That Could Matter?." The Journal of Private Enterprise, 26(2): 127-142.