Questioning the Sacred Cow: Reexamining the Justifications for Small Business Set Asides

Abstract

The use of small business set asides has generated consequences that run counter to some of the fundamental principles of government contracting, most notably the principles that full and open competition should be the norm, that procurement awards should be based on "best value" considering price and quality, and that all contractors should be given equal opportunity to compete. Despite these contradictions, set asides have survived due largely to their widespread appeal.