Publication

This essay examines the US administration's foreign assistance priorities as they are reflected in the 2008 national budget. It shows that the US continues to devote a relatively small share of its national wealth to alleviate poverty and promote self-sustaining growth in the developing world. The authors find that although the budget framework of matching country characteristics with objectives represents a good attempt at rationalizing US foreign aid, at this point it is mostly just improved bookkeeping. They suggest five critical steps to reform US development assistance.