Abstract
While Reagan administration opposition to industrial policy was intense, it appears that divisions within the Democratic party were at least as decisive a factor in its fall from favor. Industrial policy could not transcend party differences: It was, instead, consumed by them. In its early stages as a possible alternative economics for the Democratic party that could transcend divisions in the party, industrial policy appeared attractive. But as the House Democrats examined the concept and its implications more closely, industrial policy became, in itself, a source of division among members.