During its forty-five year history, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) has evolved from a cluster of programs targeted primarily to rural communities experiencing long-term economic depression to an agency that has also been called upon to target assistance to urban areas and to address issues confronting communities experiencing sudden economic dislocation caused by factory shutdowns, foreign competition, base closures, and disasters. This book is a review of the elements of the statutory history of The Economic Development Administration; and the reauthorization and funding issues in the 111th Congress.