Topics in International Studies (290-0-20)
Topic
Foreign Aid and the U.S. Foreign Policy
Instructors
Ian C Kelly
Meeting Info
Locy Hall 214: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM
Overview of class
This course will examine international development aid as an instrument of foreign policy. It will focus on the role of aid in five main periods of U.S. foreign policy: 1) the Marshall Plan and the struggle for Europe (1945-1961), 2) superpower competition in the developing world (1961-1989), 3) aiding the transition to democratic governance (1989-present), 4) countering violent religious extremism in the Islamic world (2001-present), and 5) meeting the challenge of globalization (present day).
We will look at how development aid emerged as a response to the superpower competition of the Cold War. The world's first major aid package, the Marshall Plan, was a key component in the U.S. strategy of containment: it was designed to prevent further Soviet encroachment into Central and Western Europe. With success of the Marshall Plan in Europe, Washington adopted foreign as a tool to contain the spread of Communism elsewhere, particularly in Southeast Asia and Latin America.
With the end of the Cold War, the focus of development aid changed to reflect Washington's evolving strategic priorities. The collapse of the communist system in Eastern Europe led to the danger of conflict and instability there, and presented the U.S. with the new challenge of aiding the newly independent states with their transition to democracy and the market economy. Congress responded with the Support for Eastern European Democracies (SEED) Act for Eastern Europe, and the FREEDOM Support Act (FSA) in the former Soviet Union.
The attack of September 11, 2001 awoke Washington to the danger of violent Islamic extremism. As in 1989, Congress responded to the need to counter this phenomenon with new aid packages. In this section of the course, we will focus primarily on efforts to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan, both during and after U.S. military action there.
Finally, we will conclude by looking at how the challenges of globalization, particularly climate change and emerging health threats, are shaping today's foreign aid strategies. In the final week, students will present their ideas for future directions for foreign aid, in the form a briefing on their final project -- a set of recommendations on development policy for a hypothetical President.
Evaluation Method
Grades will be based on class participation, including an oral briefing on the student's final project in the last week (30%), a short midterm essay on the role of the Marshall Plan in the eruption of the Cold War (20%, 3-5 pages), and a final paper (50%), where the student will develop a "Policy Memorandum" on strategies for a hypothetical new President. The paper will consist of a discussion the historical background on the development issue chosen, and recommendations for policy approaches to it.
Class Materials (Required)
Instructor will assign readings, from both primary (mainly speeches and declassified policy papers) and secondary sources, before each class.
Class Materials (Suggested)
Benn Steil, The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War. New York, 2019
W.W. Rostow, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Foreign Aid. Austin, 1985
Carol Lancaster, Foreign Aid: Diplomacy, Development, and Domestic Politics. Chicago, 2007
Class Attributes
Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area