Researching and reading about the many programs and initiatives of the agency was illuminating. Although familiar with several assistance programs, I knew little about how the organization is funded or “actually” operates.
The United States Agency for International Development (US AID) was established in the 1960s by an executive order issued by President Kennedy (US AID, 2014). The agency combines development assistance with the promotion of foreign policy to advance US interests abroad (US AID, 2014). In other words – and as noted on its website – US AID “reflects both the American people's compassion and support of human dignity as well as advances U.S. foreign policy interests” (US AID, 2014).
With an annual budget of less than 1% of the total federal budget, which amounted to $51.6 billion (combined budget of the Department of State and USAID) in 2013 and $47.8 billion (combined budget of the Department of State and USAID) requested for 2014, the agency aims to “strikes a balance between fiscal discipline and sustaining and advancing America’s global leadership” (USAID, 2014). Budget justifications include the prevention of conflict through strategically funding international organizations, engaging with foreign governments, as well as the ability to respond to globalizations dynamic political, economic, and social environment (US AID, 2014). By its own accounts USAID “works in over 100 countries to” (USAID, 2014):
• Promote broadly shared economic prosperity;
• Strengthen democracy and good governance;
• Protect human rights;
• Improve global health;
• Advance food security and agriculture;
• Improve environmental sustainability;
• Further education;
• Help societies prevent and recover from conflicts; and
• Provide human...
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...tional Development (US AID). (2014). Power Africa. Retrieved from http://www.usaid.gov/powerafrica
United States Agency for International Development (US AID). (2014). Adventures in Wildlife Screening: Monitoring Wildlife Farms to Prevent Disease. Retrieved from http://blog.usaid.gov/2014/01/adventures-in-wildlife-screening-monitoring-wildlife-farms-to-prevent-disease/
United States Agency for International Development (US AID). (2013). Government of Ethiopia partners with the G8 to improve land governance. Retrieved from http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/dec-9-2013-government-ethiopia-partners-g8-improve-land-governance
Willies, E. (2013). America’s form of capitalism kills free enterprise and democracy. Daily Kos. Retrieved from http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/09/01/1234954/-America-s-form-of-capitalism-kills-free-enterprise-and-democracy
The United States continues to give around $550 billion in aid to other countries each year, making America the world's top donor by far (Richardson). While the United States government only supplies $252 billion to needy Americans each year. Former Assistant to the President for Communications, Patrick Buchanan said, "The idea that we should send endless streams of tax dollars all over the world, while our own country sinks slowly in an ocean of debt is, well, ludicrous" (Foreign Aid). The United States need to give money to support the domestic impoverished rather than supporting developing foreign countries because the poverty and homelessness in America is increasing faster than the aid necessary to reduce this trend. Part of the reason that the United States should aid the domestic impoverished is that some foreign countries cannot be trusted with the money given to them and in certain cases, the money intended to aid countries are harmful for that country’s well-being.
The United States Agency of International Development (USAID) has published five strategic goals. Under these goals the USAID has formulated a total of thirteen objectives to give the strategy a more specific direction. In these
Reich, B. Robert. “How Capitalism Is Killing Democracy”. 15 Aug, 2007. 24 Apr, 2014. < https://bbhosted.cuny.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_50_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_977636_1%26url%3D>
Reich, R. (2007). How capitalism is killing democracy. Foreign Policy, Sep/Oct2007, 38-42. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete.
Creating and managing agency budgets is a complicated process. How an agency receives and allocates its funds determines how, when, and if the agency will remain viable and how it will achieve its mission. “As a practical matter, therefore, agencies often base their annual budget request on last year’s budget after making incremental categorical changes of previous expenditures” (Stojkovic, Kalinich, & Klofas, 2012, p. 40). Organizations, however, are affected by the political climate around them. The September 11, 2001 attack on America brought a substantive reaction, including military deployment abroad and increased surveillance within the homeland. As a result, the Department of Homeland Security was created to control and coordinate a number of federal law enforcement and
Hudson, William E. American Democracy in Peril: Eight Challenges to America's Future. Washington, DC: CQ, 2010. Print.
...who have hunted in CWD endemic areas to have their deer or elk tested before they consume the meat in order to prevent ingestion of contaminated meat (Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance).
Before extending aid to other countries, we should focus on our more prevalent domestic problems. Patrick Buchanan said, "The idea that we should send endless streams of tax dollars all over the world, while our own country sinks slowly in an ocean of debt is, well, ludicrous. Almost every American knows it, feels it, believes it." The topic of United States foreign policy is greatly debated, and a decision on how to handle is very hard to come by. It seems as if we are finally leaning towards less aid to foreign countries, as we try to cut wasteful spending. The American government is finally opening its eyes to the realization that all of the aid we are giving out may not be worth it. Our priority should be to help our homeless, instead of other countries' poor.
Street, P. Capitalism and Democracy "Don't Mix Very Well": Reflections on globalization, February, 2000. Z online Magazine:
The American life is a life of greed, it is a life where no amount of money is enough, where happiness can only be found by earning more and more money. This system is exemplified in America’s world of business. America’s
The United States is one of the leading suppliers of Foreign Aid in the world, and even though the US gives billions, European countries give aid money to the same countries, this causes many areas of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia to be almost fully dependent on foreign aid. This means that without aid from other countries, they would not be able to support themselves at all. Foreign aid is meant to help countries that are struggling with civil unrest, disease, or natural disasters, it is not meant to help keep the country out of debt, but that is where more and more of the US and The EU’s foreign aid budget is going. The question is, does all this money actually go where it is intended? It should be going towards the government and to help the people, but in many cases, the countries government does not have the resources to properly track the flow of money. The countries in most cases have poor infrastructure and corrupt or oppressive leaders, not always at a national level, but in the towns and cities. So this means there is almost no way to oversee the flow of foreign aid through the country, all we can see is that their situations aren't getting any better and the countries are still impoverished. If this is the case, where are the millions of dollars going? Countries like Afghanistan and Iraq receive the most money from American foreign aid and European aid, yet they are still under oppressive governmental rule and there is still an extreme difference between the rich and poor. Garrett Harding’s theory of “Lifeboat Ethics” exemplifies how not giving aid to others will allow the strongest of society to thrive, while teaching the impoverished to help themselves. He believes that giving aid to poor countries will only make ...
Anonymous author (Mar. 1 2007). ‘American Capitalism, A Necessary Evil?’. Retrieved on Mar 23 from:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/et.html> "Ethiopia." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopdia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web.
Americans are complicit capitalistic fundamentalists. In terms of stereotypes, Changez is dedicated to the American ideals of profit, efficiency, and global capitalism. He is blind to the collateral damages that are caused in the wake of the business he works for – Underwood Samson. Underwood Samson drills the concept of “focusing on the fundamentals” onto every worker (98). This guiding principle mandates a single-minded attention only to financial detail; and this is a trait that all Americans appear to do more often than not without consciousness. Changez associates merciless capitalism with this fundamentalism that characterizes Underwood Samson. Underwood Samson appears to represent the pragmatic face of American state power – which is ruthlessly