Games the Government Plays: Federal Funding of Minority Economic Development

Abstract

Little control or ownership of wealth-generating resources in the United States is in the hands of minority group members.1 In an avowed attempt to increase participation in the economic mainstream,2 a number of federal government programs have held out the hope of financial support for development of minority business enterprises. These programs have included those administered by the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO),3 the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),4 the Department of Commerce,5 and the Small Business Administration (SBA).6 In every instance, pronouncements of specific thrusts to develop innercity minority business have been widely heralded. Some programs have included development efforts for rural areas as well, thereby assisting Indians and MexicanAmericans. In each case, however, the getting has been far from easy, and the using has been equally frustrating. This article will attempt to illustrate that the government's administration of these programs often constitutes a series of games imposed on those minority group members who attempt to utilize the financial