Examines the importance of place and its relationship to the quality of public life in the context of those northern states (e.g. Montana) whose settlement marked the end of the old frontier. Also generally questions, in terms of the Jeffersonian democratic ideal, the relationship between cities and rural areas and between politics and economics. Ten papers, revised from their presentation at an October 1989 meeting in Reading, England, explore the various economic policies of the British government since 1900, from nonintervention to nationalism to privatization and deregulation, and their effect on such industries as agriculture, oil, banking, and manufacturing. They find the policies ineffectual and inconsistent compared to those in other countries. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR