Human Rights and the Strategic Use of US Foreign Food Aid

How does respect for human rights affect the disbursement of food aid by US foreign policymakers? Scholars analyzing foreign aid generally look at only total economic aid, military aid or a combination of both. However, for a more nuanced understanding of human rights as a determinant of foreign aid, the discrete foreign aid programs must be examined. By disentangling component-programs from total aid, this analysis demonstrates how human rights influence policymakers by allowing them to distribute food aid to human rights abusing countries. Consequently, policymakers can promote strategic objectives with food aid, while legally restricted from distributing other aid. The primary theoretical argument, which links increasing human rights abuse with increasing food aid, is supported by results from a Heckman model. This procedure models the two-stage decision-making process where foreign policymakers first, select countries for aid and then, distribute aid to those selected.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of North Texas

Year dc:date

2007

Author dc:creator

• Fariss, Christopher J.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Meernik, James
• Poe, Steven
• King, Kimi L.
• Mason, T. David

• foreign aid
• food aid
• human rights
• strategic objectives
• Human rights.
• Food relief, American -- Government policy.

Statement dc:rights

• Public
• Copyright
• Fariss, Christopher J.
• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

oclc: 227163649
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5184/
ark: ark:/67531/metadc5184

OAI identifier oai:identifier

info:ark/67531/metadc5184