The federal role in export assistance to small businesses: Helpful, harmful, necessary?

This doctoral dissertation (1) identifies sources of market and government failures in the provision of export development services to small businesses; (2) investigates current patterns of provision by the private, non-profit, and government sectors of the services in relation to the demand; and (3) analyzes the appropriate role of the government sector in the provision of these services and how it might be altered to enhance social welfare. I compare what the government sector is currently doing in regard to the provision of the services in relation to what it might do if it were to effectively address prevailing market and government failures. In an attempt to identify if the federal role in export development assistance to small firms is helpful, harmful, or necessary, it is important to consider the assistance needs of firms, the appropriateness of government involvement, federal budgetary emphases, private sector involvement, private/public partnerships, and program development and evaluation.