Examines the expansion of public two-year colleges between 1942 and 1970. Tests hypotheses from organizational ecology, institutional theory, predicting that the population of two-year colleges is responsive to business elites, affluence, the labor force needs of a diversified economy, and Democratic Party pluralities. Findings suggest that business elites play an important role, under the condition that there is a surplus of high school graduates in the state. (Contains 50 references.) (VWC)