In 2019, the U.S. Congress passed the Global Fragility Act with bipartisan support. (GFA). The act aimed to reform U.S. foreign aid and development, focusing on stabilization initiatives that proactively address the root causes of conflict before they escalate into full-blown violence. Despite the significant implications of the GFA for both domestic and international foreign policy, extant research examining the novel legislation remains limited and disjointed in its examination. This paper builds on previous studies by combining content analysis and qualitative interviews with a diverse group of professionals within the foreign aid sector to offer a comprehensive analysis of the origins of the GFA, its current state of implementation, and what possibilities the future holds for its success. I conclude by asserting that, despite setbacks like the slow rollout under the Biden administration and the effective elimination of USAID during the Trump administration, the GFA remains a crucial and promising initiative. Furthermore, I explain how the GFA’s reform goals align with those of the Trump administration and argue that the administration should reaffirm its commitment to the GFA, continuing to work toward its implementation by undertaking the challenging, albeit not impossible, task of shifting more foreign aid and development responsibilities to the Department of State and the Department of Defense.
","abstract_html":"<p>In 2019, the U.S. Congress passed the Global Fragility Act with bipartisan support. (GFA). The act aimed to reform U.S. foreign aid and development, focusing on stabilization initiatives that proactively address the root causes of conflict before they escalate into full-blown violence. Despite the significant implications of the GFA for both domestic and international foreign policy, extant research examining the novel legislation remains limited and disjointed in its examination. This paper builds on previous studies by combining content analysis and qualitative interviews with a diverse group of professionals within the foreign aid sector to offer a comprehensive analysis of the origins of the GFA, its current state of implementation, and what possibilities the future holds for its success. I conclude by asserting that, despite setbacks like the slow rollout under the Biden administration and the effective elimination of USAID during the Trump administration, the GFA remains a crucial and promising initiative. Furthermore, I explain how the GFA’s reform goals align with those of the Trump administration and argue that the administration should reaffirm its commitment to the GFA, continuing to work toward its implementation by undertaking the challenging, albeit not impossible, task of shifting more foreign aid and development responsibilities to the Department of State and the Department of Defense.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Coakley, Declan F."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"International Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Angela Lederach","Crystal Murphy","Andrea Molle"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2025-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:38:43Z","subjects":["Global Fragility Act","International Studies","Foreign Aid and Development","U.S. Government","Peace and Conflict Studies","American Politics","Defense and Security Studies","Emergency and Disaster Management","International Relations","Policy History, Theory, and Methods"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/international_studies_theses/29","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Angela Lederach","Crystal Murphy","Andrea Molle"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Coakley, Declan F."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["International Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Global Fragility Act","International Studies","Foreign Aid and Development","U.S. Government","Peace and Conflict Studies","American Politics","Defense and Security Studies","Emergency and Disaster Management","International Relations","Policy History, Theory, and Methods"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/international_studies_theses/29"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In 2019, the U.S. Congress passed the Global Fragility Act with bipartisan support. (GFA). The act aimed to reform U.S. foreign aid and development, focusing on stabilization initiatives that proactively address the root causes of conflict before they escalate into full-blown violence. Despite the significant implications of the GFA for both domestic and international foreign policy, extant research examining the novel legislation remains limited and disjointed in its examination. This paper builds on previous studies by combining content analysis and qualitative interviews with a diverse group of professionals within the foreign aid sector to offer a comprehensive analysis of the origins of the GFA, its current state of implementation, and what possibilities the future holds for its success. I conclude by asserting that, despite setbacks like the slow rollout under the Biden administration and the effective elimination of USAID during the Trump administration, the GFA remains a crucial and promising initiative. Furthermore, I explain how the GFA’s reform goals align with those of the Trump administration and argue that the administration should reaffirm its commitment to the GFA, continuing to work toward its implementation by undertaking the challenging, albeit not impossible, task of shifting more foreign aid and development responsibilities to the Department of State and the Department of Defense.
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"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/international_studies_theses/29"],"dc:source":["Coakley, Declan F. “A Fragile New World: An Analysis of the History, Present, and Future of the U.S. Global Fragility Act.” Master's thesis, Chapman University, Year. https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000669"],"dc:subject":["Global Fragility Act","International Studies","Foreign Aid and Development","U.S. Government","Peace and Conflict Studies","American Politics","Defense and Security Studies","Emergency and Disaster Management","International Relations","Policy History, Theory, and Methods"],"dc:title":["A Fragile New World: An Analysis of the History, Present, and Future of the U.S. Global Fragility Act"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["International Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:38:43Z"}