DO STATES EMLPOY AID AS A TOOL OF FOREIGN POLICY DRAW UPON TWO Essay

DO STATES EMLPOY AID AS A TOOL OF FOREIGN POLICY DRAW UPON TWO EXAMPLES - Essay Example First, it must set its foreign agendas, which are the issues and challenges core to a government and its citizens’ well being (Kahler, 1998). Second, the appropriate policies have to be formulated, debated, voted and legalized/enacted. Third, the policies are adopted then implemented. Finally, the implementation and completion of these policies are evaluated and recommendations made for any practicable changes (Kahler, 1998). Foreign policies are quite unlike domestic policies that involve a lot of people and agencies. Normally, the head of states/governments (presidents and prime ministers) serve as the senior most diplomats for countries. Among the tools employed in foreign policy are diplomacy, foreign aid and military force. Diplomacy entails dealing with nations via discussions, negotiations, diplomatic messages and public statements on a variety of issues. On the other hand, foreign aid involves states assisting one another monetarily and materially so that they achieve their goals, in the process helping in improving their relations. The three common types of foreign aid used as foreign policy tools are military, economic development and humanitarian aid (Kahler, 1998). While military aid involves donating or trading in military equipment and technology to improve the military power of a given state or region of interest to the donor country, economic development aid is in the form of money or equipment loans, grants and donations to boost other states’ economy (Sogge, 2002). This paper explores the idea that foreign aid is a tool for foreign policy, citing two cases in which a state uses aid to promote its interests. Foreign Aid in US Foreign Policy The United States is one of the industrial, political and economic superpowers to whom foreign aid is an essential and integral part of foreign policy. There are several types of foreign aid that the United States regularly disburses to other countries. These categories of aid are disaster and humanitarian aid, military and security aid, and economic development aid. Among these types of foreign aid, the economic development aid accounts for approximately 60% of the total aid while the military and security assistance and the disaster and humanitarian relief account for 25% and 15% respectively. There are several reasons for which the United States extends foreign aid to its developing and strategic partners. For instance, U.S. foreign aid is given for development purposes and for humanitarian assistance in cases of emergencies/disasters. Having started giving foreign aid to developing nations in 1946, just after World War I, the United States’ foreign aid now runs into billions of dollars, making it one of the most controversial and debated tool of US foreign policy. The US and other Western nations learned about and started practicing foreign aid after the World War I after most of the destroyed countries such as Germany failed to effectively reconstruct their ec onomy and government. These devastated countries sought and received help from other states. After the First World War, the United Sates donated a whooping $12 billion dollars to Europe for government and economic reconstruction after which the US Congress then passed the European Recovery Plan (ERP), also referred to as the Marshall Plan after the Secretary of State George C. Marshall. This plan proposed the disbursement of another $13 billion in the five years following the $12