Graduate Program
Political Science
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Semester of Degree Completion
2011
Thesis Director
Ryan Hendrickson
Thesis Committee Member
David Carwell
Thesis Committee Member
Melinda Mueller
Abstract
This thesis examined many controversies surrounding the distribution of U.S. foreign aid, most precisely the factors explaining the allocation of U.S. foreign aid, the congressional foreign policy behavior related to foreign aid decisions, and the impact of foreign lobbying. The findings suggest that the United States' security interests appear to be the central basis on which the United States distributes its Gross Bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA). Meanwhile, the congressional foreign policy behavior reveals that even though the Democrats are more likely to sponsor most foreign aid bills the Democratic Party's control in Congress does not guarantee that all or at least the majority of foreign aid bills introduced in Congress will be enacted or the United States' ODA will increase. The congressional foreign policy behavior suggests also that the ideologies of the chairmen of the Senate and the House Committees on Appropriations do not seem to influence the ODA the United States allocates every year. Also, a complementary case study reveals that that foreign aid legislation follows an unorthodox lawmaking processes. Furthermore, a case study investigating the actions Egypt takes to obtain U.S. development assistance shows that in 2007, 2008, and 2009, Egypt used U.S. domestic lobbyists to advance Egypt's national interest in the United States.
Recommended Citation
Awesso, Abalo, "Why does the United States give foreign aid?" (2011). Masters Theses. 856.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/856
