gmat阅读题求解答

TheUnitedStatesgovernmenthasalong-standingpolicyofusingfederalfundstokeepsmallbusinessviable.TheSmallBusinessActof1953authorizedtheSmallBusinessAdministration(SBA)toenterintocontractswithgovernmentagencieshavingprocurementpowersandtoarrangeforfulfillmentofthesecontractsbyawardingsubcontractstosmallbusinesses.Inthemid-1960's,duringthewaronpovertyyears,Congresshopedtoencourageminorityentrepreneursbydirectingsuchfundingtominoritybusinesses.Atfirstthisfundingwasdirectedtowardminorityentrepreneurswithverylowincomes.A1967amendmenttotheEconomicOpportunityActdirectedtheSBAtopayspecialattentiontominority-ownedbusinesseslocatedinurbanorruralareascharacterizedbyhighproportionsofunemployedorlow-incomeindividuals.Sincethen,theanswergiventothefundamentalquestionofwhotherecipientsshouldbe--themosteconomicallydisadvantagedorthosewiththebestprospectsforbusinesssuccess--haschanged,andthesocialgoalsoftheprogramshaveshifted,resultinginpolicychanges.

Thefirstshiftoccurredduringtheearly1970's.Whilethegoalofassistingtheeconomicallydisadvantagedentrepreneurremained,anewgoalemerged:toremedytheeffectsofpastdiscrimination.Infact,in1970theSBAexplicitlystatedthattheirmaingoalwastoincreasethenumberofminority-ownedbusinesses.Atthetime,minoritiesconstitutedseventeenpercentofthenation'spopulation,butonlyfourpercentofthenation'sself-employed.Thisownershipgapwasheldtobetheresultofpastdiscrimination.Increasingthenumberofminority-ownedfirmswasseenasawaytoremedythisproblem.Inthatcontext,providingfundingtominorityentrepreneursinmiddle-andhigh-incomebracketsseemedjustified.

Inthelate1970's,thegoalsofminority-businessfundingprogramsshiftedagain.AttheMinorityBusinessDevelopmentAgency,forexample,thegoalofincreasingnumbersofminority-ownedfirmswassupplantedbythegoalofcreatingandassistingmoreminority-ownedsubstantivefirmswithfuturegrowthpotential.Assistingmanufacturersorwholesalersbecamefarmoreimportantthanassistingsmallservicebusinesses.Minority-businessfundingprogram