Could new legislation help drive the development of local tech clusters – and the growth of corresponding economic power and development – beyond Silicon Valley? In this week’s Kenan Insight, our experts explore the gravitational pull of Big Tech along with what it could mean if startups across the U.S. were better able to remain and grow in the communities where they launch.

As The Wall Street Journal reported this week, Congress is gearing up for a potential showdown with the largest tech companies in the U.S. And with a bipartisan group of representatives pushing for legislation that would dismantle the monopoly power of Big Tech, this week's Kenan Insight revisits research on how regulating Amazon, Apple and others may be key to reviving the economies of America’s held-back cities and regions.

While technological advances have traditionally been a boon to the U.S. economy, the rapid rise of new platforms and the increased financialization of the economy in recent years have encouraged the growth of monopolies—driving an ever-widening geographic gap in the distribution of income across the country. New research from the Kenan Institute’s Professor Maryann Feldman explores the ramifications of this growing divide.