Since the late 1960s, the federal government has supported a policy or affirmative action with respect to the award of government contracts to small business firms owned and operated by members of select minority groups Although originally structured to aid in the development of small business regardless of minority status, the Small Business Administration's 8(a) program fell victim to social and political pressures of the civil rights movement; becoming an instrument of affirmative action through federal procurement. With the apparent shift in the national social opinion towards quotas and set asides based on minority affiliation, including the Supreme Court's recent ruling against such set asides in Adarand Constructors, Inc. V. Pena, the future of the 8(a) program is uncertain. Minority set aside programs have not historically been subject to cost/benefit analysis. This thesis analyzes the economic efficiency of the 8(a) program. Finally, the research concludes with an analysis of alternative initiatives sponsored by the United States Congress and the President.