A Political Theory Of Foreign Aid

Abstract

Along this work, the author reflects on the foreign aid, its necessity and opportunity ?or not?, and whether it has value by itself. With this purpose, he defines six modalities of foreign aid,  as well as their respective consequences and political contents, among them the humanitarian, the foreign aid oriented to economic development ?equivalent currently to development cooperation?, the military or the prestige aid. One of his main conclusions is that the foreign aid, as part of the political weaponry of a nation, must fall into the domain of political action, criticizing the primacy of economists and their protagonist role regarding the management of this aid, to the extent that the ultimate goals of this policy must be the political reinforcement of the donor. In the view of Hans Morgenthau, who doubts about the efficacy in terms of progress and modernization of the economic aid, even being a successful one, the results of this aid are unforeseeable and could be potentially counterproductive, to the extent that they would change necessarily the statu quo ?even provoking a revolution?, being preferable then the prestige aid for its immediate political effects and benefits for the donor.