On U.S. Security Strategy And Foreign Aid Policy (1989-2008)

Since Cold War began , American foreign aid became an very important foreign policy serving for U.S. security strategy. American foreign aid policy would be changing with different administration historical background. The changes include the types of focus of foreign aid and regional proportion of the aid. This thesis will interpret the relations between American security strategy and the evolution of foreign aid policy based on previous research and government reports. The thesis's key viewpoint is that American foreign aid policy serves for its security strategy.Chapter 1: The Security Strategy and Foreign Aid PolicyThe first part will define the concept and reality of security. Security can be interpreted in different levels individual security ,organizational security , national security and international security etc. In this thesis, security refers to national security. With position and angel of view change, national security gets different connotation such as different security concept between realists and liberalist. Historical conditions and reality will change people's security concept. For example, there are different security concepts in post-World War 1and post-Cold War.The second part illustrates the levels and types of foreign aid. Foreign aid can be divided into different levels and types based on different standards. In this thesis, bilateral aid in national level will be the point of interpret and it will be divided into economic development aid, military aid, humanitarian aid, aid for transnational crisis management and so on.The third part will discuss the positive role of foreign aid in security strategy. In American position, foreign aid can promote its interest in five aspects. These include:direct strategical effects, reducing threat by economic development, shaping peaceful environment by promoting democracy, safeguarding internal security by sate-building, getting more recognition by soft power. Chapter 2: The containment strategy and foreign aid policyBefore the Second World War, the United States had pursued an isolationist policy. After World War II, the United States became one of the two superpowers, and involved in international affairs actively, and set off the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Foreign aid was seen as an important means to contain Soviet Union . The first part describes the formation of the "containment strategy" and foreign aid. From assistance to Greece and Turkey to the implementation of the Marshall Plan in Western Europe, foreign aid was seen as an important means to contain Soviet Union in Europe. During this period, economic development aid took key pole. When the Korean War broke out, the United States security concept changed. Economic aid was taken part of military aid. As the Marshall Plan came to end, Asia became the focus of foreign aid , especially in the Eisenhower period.The second part described the US-Soviet competition for the Third World and the launch of "modernization" aid. When the Korean War was smooth, U.S. and the Soviet Union struggled for the Third World. U.S. recognized if U.S. can help the third world promoting modernization, it can prevent them lean to Soviet Union. Then, U.S. provide amount of aid to promote modernization, especially in Kennedy administration.The third part discusses the link between human rights and foreign aid policy from the Nixon administration to the Carter administration. Without urgent pressure because of detente with the Soviet Union, U.S. took the moral high ground to promote the so-called universal feeling to win friends and get recognition. The fourth part describes foreign aid policy in the Reagan administration. In this period, the military competition with the Soviet Union made U.S. payed more attentions to military aid. Also, the country which has strategical position or provides military bases got more aid. Foreign aid became weapon to compete down the Soviet Union .Chapter 3: U.S. Security strategy and oreign aid in George H. Bush administrationBush administration coincided with the changes in Eastern Europe and the collapse of Soviet Union, so foreign aid was fully utilized. by the U.S. government The first part describes the Bush Administration, "beyond containment" strategy. Bush's strategy was not a natural continuation of Reagan administration, when Bush was vice president, he criticized detent with the Soviet Union." Beyond containment" was considered carefully based on the total situation. Bush insisted Gorbachev's reforms would continue, so the "beyond containment" strategy aim to integrate the Soviet Union into Europe and U.S by foreign aid.The second part describes the Bush Administration provided aid for Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union based on "beyond containment" strategy. When the military means can not be involved in the process of transformation in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, the foreign aid was considered as the best weapon. When United States provided aid, it set the political conditions attached to foreign aid policy to serve the U.S. security strategy.The third part discusses neo-isolationism tendency in U.S. came to vivid when the collapse of Soviet Union and the end of Cold War. There were many debates in U.S. About foreign aid, so foreign aid was reduced.Chapter 4: The strategy of engagement and enlargement and Foreign Aid PolicyThe first part discusses the change of security concept and strategy in the Clinton administration. The collapse of Soviet Union had full influence on U.S. security strategy in the Clinton administration. With direct sand strong competitor disappearing, American scholars debated abuot the future threat, some one insisted that the threat would be regional powers, other one believed the clash of civilizations would be greater threat. The Clinton administration also adopted a wide range of security concept, It emphasized economic security, containment of weapons of mass destruction, spending democracy against "rogue states" . Foreign policy also changed as a result.The second part discuss the reaction among isolationism, the collapse of Soviet Union and foreign aid . Although the isolationism had declined in the Clinton administration, U.S. wast like to intervene in global affairs with little aid. The amount of foreign aid dropped its lowest point since the Cold War in the Clinton administration .The third part discusses the changes of foreign aid in different regions .U.S. adjusted proportion of aid in different region according to situations. In Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the United States still provided aid to promote changes. In the Middle East, foreign aid helped maintaining stable allies and containing so-called "rogue states", In Asia, because of the North Korean nuclear crisis, U.S. provided amount of aid to make peace. Chapter 5: Anti-terrorism strategy and Foreign Aid PolicyThe first chapter describes the impact of terrorist attacks, the Bush administration averted to counter-terrorism, and foreign aid was considered as effective step to curb the breeding and spreading of terrorism. As a result, the Bush Administration reduced increased foreign aid which was greatly reduced by previous administration. U.S. established the Millennium Challenge Account program for a number of countries for assistance to evaluate and implement assistance.The second part discusses the aid in the anti-terrorism frontier including Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Jordan in the Bush administration. Bush administration has carried out military attack in Afghanistan and Iraq, the provided a large number of aid for post-war reconstruction. U.S. would like to shape the European and American-style democracy in these two countries to contain terrorism.The third part discusses the Bush Administration's economic development assistance in Africa. Poverty considered as a hotbed of terrorism and spread of breeding by the Bush Administration, while Africa has been seen as weakness of global anti-terrorism. Therefore, the Bush administration raised the U.S. foreign aid in Africa, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.The fourth part describes foreign aid for transnational governance in the Bush administration. Bush administration attaches great importance to the drugs, AIDS and other transnational problems. The control and management of these issues was considered as the best way to get soft power. The transnational management aid focused on Latin America and Africa.In summary, in the 3 administrations from 1989 to 2009, foreign aid still served the United States Security Strategy same to during the Cold War. With U.S. security strategy changing, foreign aid policy continues to adjust. After the Cold War, foreign aid can serve the national security strategies, expand a country's international influence and receive more recognition. In this thesis, the change of security strategy leading by its concept is the mainline to interpret the interaction between foreign aid policy and security strategy. This thesis may be some reference value for the implementation of China's foreign aid policy.