America's Foreign Aid Contributions

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The integration of international communications and trades, the flourishing peril of global terrorism, the surge of HIV/AIDS, the growing poverty in developing countries, transnational crimes and nuclear weapons – all are hallmarks of a germinated 21st century outlook for alteration and adjustment. Given many menaces to national security in the post-Cold War and especially post-9/11 terrorism, Americans now understand that the security of their homeland greatly depends on civilization, freedom, and development beyond other nations. Since Congress passed the Marshall Plan in 1948 and the Foreign Assistance Act in 1961, the U.S. has been well-known worldwide for its commodious overseas contribution. Nevertheless, this renown is inevitably questioned. What did the U.S. really accomplished? Or the effort was just a gilded, counterfeit mask?

The United States, according to the CIA World Factbook 2009, has been ranked first in Gross Domestic Product (GDP - a basic measure of a country's overall economic output) 59 times in a row since 1950. Being the wealthiest and strongest part of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and even helping to formulate the United Nations over 60 years ago, our actions can be felt around the world - flagrantly and magnificently. Yet, we give the most which is the least.

It is indubitable that we have always granted the Third World countries with the largest amount comparing to any other First World countries. In fiscal year 2008, American government assisted with over 25 billion dollars, more than twice that of Germany and of Britain (Figure 1). Ironically, the percent of Gross National Income (GNI) we granted was the lowest (Figure 2). Forty years ago, along with other affluent nations, Americans...

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...nia News. Online. 9 May

1995. Google. 25 January 2010. http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/usaid_frnAid.html

Becker, Elizabeth. “Groups Pledge to Account for Tsunami Aid.” New York Times. 25 February

2005: A5.

Heath, Dan, and Chip Heath. “Does America Spend Too Much on Foreign Aid?” Made to Stick:

Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. New York: Random House Inc. 2007. 77-79.

Lancaster, Carol. “The Phenomenon of Foreign Aid.” Transforming Foreign Aid: United States

Assistance in the 21st Century. Washington D.C.: Institute for International Economics.

1 February 2000. 9-13.

Slavin, Barbara. “Role in relief could draw U.S. closer to Iran.” Los Angeles Times. 31

December 2003: A3.

“U.S. Foreign Aid Programs: 1980 to 2007.” Chart. Online. 30 September 2007. Google. 25

January 2010. http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s1262.pdf

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