Literature Review - Foreign aid
“Why do states contribute foreign aid?”
Literature Review
Christopher Bennett
Introduction to International Research
Professor David Mislan
Introduction There are many competing theories underscoring why countries elect to contribute foreign aid to other countries. This is a difficult international phenomena to isolate, because there are many potential factors that could influence a country’s decision. Some countries are motivated to provide foreign aid to certain countries based on political ideologies, geopolitical strategic locations, or other foreign policy objectives. This paper begins by identifying the major debates in the literature regarding what motivates the provision of foreign aid by a country. There seems to be clear divisions between political and strategic motivations to provide foreign aid as opposed to economic needs and policy performance or finally, political ideology.
Major Debates in the Foreign Aid Literature There are many concurrent related debates in the foreign aid literature that do not necessarily address the direct question of what motivates countries to contribute foreign aid. Ngaire Woods identifies some of these related debates as including; financial capacity of donors, and best provision methods.1 While these debates are tied to the question of why countries provide foreign aid, this paper focuses on the theorists and articles that provide the most useful responses to this specific research question.
Political and Strategic Motivations for Foreign Aid
Woods goes on to address why countries provide foreign aid by closely linking the foreign aid decisions of donor countries to their shifting security priorities. Woods argues that countries provide foreign aid on the basis of strengthening their own security. Woods states, “Most of the increase in US aid has been destined for projects designed to serve the security imperatives prevailing in the wake of September 11.”2 Alberto Alesina
Literature Review
Christopher Bennett
Introduction to International Research
Professor David Mislan
Introduction There are many competing theories underscoring why countries elect to contribute foreign aid to other countries. This is a difficult international phenomena to isolate, because there are many potential factors that could influence a country’s decision. Some countries are motivated to provide foreign aid to certain countries based on political ideologies, geopolitical strategic locations, or other foreign policy objectives. This paper begins by identifying the major debates in the literature regarding what motivates the provision of foreign aid by a country. There seems to be clear divisions between political and strategic motivations to provide foreign aid as opposed to economic needs and policy performance or finally, political ideology.
Major Debates in the Foreign Aid Literature There are many concurrent related debates in the foreign aid literature that do not necessarily address the direct question of what motivates countries to contribute foreign aid. Ngaire Woods identifies some of these related debates as including; financial capacity of donors, and best provision methods.1 While these debates are tied to the question of why countries provide foreign aid, this paper focuses on the theorists and articles that provide the most useful responses to this specific research question.
Political and Strategic Motivations for Foreign Aid
Woods goes on to address why countries provide foreign aid by closely linking the foreign aid decisions of donor countries to their shifting security priorities. Woods argues that countries provide foreign aid on the basis of strengthening their own security. Woods states, “Most of the increase in US aid has been destined for projects designed to serve the security imperatives prevailing in the wake of September 11.”2 Alberto Alesina
Bibliography: Abuzeid, Farah. "Forein Aid and the "Big Push" Theory: Lessons from Sub-Saharan a." Standford Journal of International Relations 6, no. 1 (2009): 16-22. http://www.stanford.edu/group/sjir/pdf/Aid_11.1.pdf (accessed February 19, 2014). Alesina, Alberto , and David Dollar. "Who Gives Foreign Aid to Whom and Why?." NBER. http://www.nber.org/papers/w6612 (accessed February 26, 2014). Brautigam, Deborah A., and Stephen Knack. "Foreign Aid, Institutions, And Governance In Sub‐Saharan Africa." Economic Development and Cultural Change 52, no. 2 (2004): 255-285. Edwards, Michael. "International Development NGOs: Agents of Foreign Aid or Vehicles for International Cooperation?." Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 28 (1999): 25-37. http://nvs.sagepub.com/content/28/suppl_1/25 (accessed February 13, 2014). Morgenthau, Hans. "A Political Theory of Foreign Aid." The American Political Science Review 56, no. 2 (1962): 301. Pallage, Stephane, and Michel A. Robe. "Foreign Aid and the Business Cycle." Review of International Economics 9, no. 4 (2001): 641-672. Palmer, G., S. B. Wohlander, and T. C. Morgan. "Give Or Take: Foreign Aid And Foreign Policy Substitutability." Journal of Peace Research 39, no. 1 (2002): 5-26. Radelet, Steven. "Bush and Foreign Aid." foreign affairs 82 (2003): 104-117. http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/20033686?uid=3739936&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21103539146747 (accessed February 26, 2014). Radelet, Steven. "A Primer for Foreign Aid." Center for Global Development July 2005, no. Working Paper Number 92 (2006): 1-24. Woods, Ngaire. "The Shifting Politics Of Foreign Aid." International Affairs 81, no. 2 (2005): 393-409.