Alabama’s Enterprise Zones: Designed to Aid the Needy?

The Alabama Enterprise Zone Act established 27 zones across the state. The act provides incentives to business firms that locate within an approved zone in an effort to attract desperately needed jobs. Zone status was purported to be based on economic need as measured by five variables. In this article, the selection process is closely examined. The authors find that the selection criteria were frequently ignored in favor of political concerns. The results suggest that a policy designed to help needy individuals in the state was convoluted by the political process.