Future of Foreign Assistance

Laura Rozen reports that the new pick for USAID chief, Dr. Rajiv Shah, met with congressional leaders today, including Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.). According to Rozen, Shah’s appointment was largely positively received, however some question whether his appointment augurs a diminished role for USAID in the longterm.

Daniel Kaufmann at the Brookings Institution argues for the necessity of debating foreign assistance reform in light of Transparency International’s recent report on global corruption. Currently, there are three reform efforts underway via the National Security Council, the State Department’s Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review and the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act in the House. According to Kaufmann, there is an “evident” correlation between the amount of U.S. assistance a country receives and its perceived level of corruption. While addressing corruption should not be the only purpose of foreign assistance, it should play a “key part of a development aid effectiveness review.”