Book excerpt: This assessment continues the Office of Technology Assessment's (OTA) exploration of the meaning of industrial policy in the United States context, while also examining the industrial policies of several U.S. economic rivals. The major focus is on electronics, an area which virtually defines "high technology" of the 1980's. The assessment sets the characteristics of the technology itself alongside other forces that exert major influences over international competitiveness. Specific areas addressed include: electronics technology; structure, trade, and competitiveness in the international electronics industry; quality, reliability, and automation in manufacturing; role of financing in competitiveness and electronics; human resources (education, training, management); employment effects; national industrial policies; and U.S. trade policies and their effects. The report concludes by outlining five options for a U.S. industrial policy, drawing on electronics for examples of past and prospective impacts, as well as on OTA's previous studies of the steel and automotive industries. A detailed summary and introductory comments are included. Also included in appendices are case studies in the development and marketing of electronics products, a discussion of offshore manufacturing, and a glossary of terms used in the assessment. (JN)