Geopolitics, Aid and Growth

Arbeitspapier

We investigate the effects of short-term political motivations on the effectiveness of foreign aid. Donor countries' political motives might reduce the effectiveness of conditionality, channel aid to inferior projects or affect the way aid is spent in other ways, reduce the aid bureaucracy's effort, and might impact the power structure in the recipient country. We investigate whether geopolitical motives matter by testing whether the effect of aid on economic growth is reduced by the share of years a country has served on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in the period the aid has been committed, which provides quasi-random variation in commitments. Our results show that the effect of aid on growth is significantly lower when aid has been granted for political reasons. We derive two conclusions from this. First, short-term political favoritism reduces growth. Second, political interest variables are invalid instruments for aid, raising doubts about a large number of results in the aid effectiveness literature.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: CESifo Working Paper ; No. 4299

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; International Linkages to Development; Role of International Organizations ; Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development ; Foreign Aid ; International Agreements and Observance; International Organizations
• Subject: aid effectiveness ; economic growth ; politics and aid ; United Nations Security Council membership ; political instruments

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Dreher, Axel ; Eichenauer, Vera ; Gehring, Kai
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo)
• (where): Munich
• (when): 2013

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/77696
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:45 AM CET