Date of Creation
11-4-2023
Degree Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Ke Ren
Abstract
This research paper seeks to add to the rich historiography of US foreign aid and interventions abroad by examining both the aid given during the war in Afghanistan and the Marshall Plan. Afghanistan saw $2 trillion spent on programs seemingly without clearly defined aims and which collapsed within 11 days in 2021. On the other hand, the Marshall Plan economically resuscitated a Western Europe devastated by the Second World War. Dissecting these two cases will allow the author to understand where the money went, what the aims of the aid were, how it was disbursed, and whether or not the aid accomplished its intended aim. What can be extrapolated from such a comparison is that a clearly defined strategy with clear goals by competent leaders, effective articulation of said strategy by those leaders to the public, transparent and vigorous accountability measures with one agency coordinating and overseeing all aid efforts, and ownership of the recipient country of aid programs are key ingredients to the formulation of a successful foreign aid program. These conclusions will then be applied to counsel the ongoing American aid effort to buttress Ukraine during its war with Russia.
Recommended Citation
Canty, John Chadwick Jr., "The Gift That Never Stops Giving: A Comparison of US Aide and Reconstruction in Afghanistan, Post-War Europe, and Ukraine" (2023). Washington Semester Program. 11.
https://crossworks.holycross.edu/washington/11