U.S. Aid Should Be Earned
By LORNE CRANER, BILL FRIST, KENNETH HACKETT and ALAN PATRICOF (The New York Times)
AS Barack Obama works to reinvigorate America’s standing in the world, foreign aid will be one of his most precise tools of statecraft. Ever since the Marshall Plan helped rebuild Europe after World War II, aid has been instrumental in winning hearts and minds and catalyzing global economic growth that has contributed to America’s prosperity.
But not all foreign aid is the same. Hard lessons learned over the past five decades have taught us that good governance, accountability, local ownership and long-term engagement are the keys to success. In January, the new administration will inherit the five-year-old Millennium Challenge Corporation, which was created by Congress to ensure that foreign assistance operates according to these principles. He would do well to adopt it as a core development tool.