I think john brings up an interesting point - that we don't start on equal playing fields.

One thing of interest... our company has a policy that we like to try to select from small-business and diverse subcontractors, when at all possible. These people are evaluated against other large subtractors in the field for their quality of service and abilities. Often things are just about equal, but the Small Business is given the nudge. Why? Because the playing field is not equal for Small Businesses, and supporting Small Businesses is healthier for competition and diversity, and the quality of product/services in the long run.

Quotas run very much like that, in my opinion.