Also, Advocacy proposes two alternative means of selecting panelists. The United States Congress established the Office of Advocacy in 1976 by Pub. Its statutory duties include serving as a focal point for concerns regarding the government's policies as they affect small business, developing proposals for changes in U.S. Federal agencies' policies, and communicating these proposals to the agencies.
Small businesses are a crucial element of the U.S. economy and the Internet.
In 1998, there were 23 million small businesses in the United States, who represent more than 99 percent of all employers in this country. Small businesses employ 52 percent of private workers and employ 38 percent of private workers in high-tech occupations. Virtually all of the net new jobs in the United States were provided by small businesses. Small businesses use of the Internet is rapidly expanding. In the past two years, small businesses with access to the Internet has doubled from 21.5 percent to 41.2 percent.