This video explores the historical and geographical factors that led to Washington becoming a more economically and demographically successful state than Oregon, despite Oregon's earlier settlement and initial advantages. It contrasts the distinct physical geographies, historical settlement patterns, political decisions, and economic development trajectories of the two states.
Washington's economic growth was significantly fueled by the development of the software industry, particularly through companies like Microsoft and Amazon. These companies created "exponentially scalable digital platforms" like operating systems, e-commerce, and cloud computing. This focus on software and digital services allowed Washington's economy to achieve broad reach and rapid growth.
In contrast, Oregon's economic growth, while successful in its own right, was more anchored in "making things." This included its strong agricultural sector, the success of Nike in apparel, and advanced manufacturing and chip design through companies like Intel. While these are globally important industries, they are generally less scalable and have a different growth trajectory than digital platforms. This difference in economic focus contributed to Washington's larger GDP and higher GDP per person.
