Provides an account of the depth, magnitude, and structure of the U.S. government's role in the innovation economy. A cross-disciplinary group of authors collectively document, theorize, and evaluate the decentralized set of agencies, programs, and policies at the core of the collaborative linkages between public agencies and the private industries at the forefront of the U.S. economy. The authors address issues critical to the construction of newly responsible, forward-looking public policies: how can we forge an innovation policy that is at once flexible, effective and efficient, as well as transparent and accountable? They provide insights into "where innovations come from" and what government policies support a dynamic innovation economy. They show how government programs and policies have underpinned technological innovation in the U.S. economy over the last four decades, despite the strength of "free market" political rhetoric. They explore the strengths and weaknesses of different policies and strategies for strengthening the innovative dynamics that support economic growth and competitiveness, offering a vision for designing technology policies to fit a 21st century economy. From publisher description.