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Independent research & practical ideas for global prosperity

Rethinking US Foreign Assistance - November 2012

The US election results are in and things look remarkably...the same. President Obama won re-election, the Senate remains under Democratic leadership and Republicans still control the House. President Obama and his administration have four more years to carry out the development reforms they launched. But it could be an uphill battle in Congress, where attention will be on fiscal austerity and the foreign relations authorizing committees will have almost entirely new leadership. In the meantime, CGD has a few ideas of what President Obama could do on development before inauguration day.

Best regards,

Sarah Jane Staats

Director, Rethinking US Foreign Assistance

A Running Start
President Obama need not wait until the start of his second term to push forward his vision for development. CGD experts offer practical ways to hit the ground running in a series of short video clips, including Sarah Jane Staats on foreign aid. Photo: Nick Knupffer/Intel Photos
Congressional Committee Shake-Ups
The overall power dynamic on Capitol Hill remains largely unchanged. But the foreign relations authorizing committees will have almost entirely new leadership. Jenny Ottenhoff unpacks some of the committee changes ahead for the 113th Congress. Photo: dctourism
MCC Impact Evaluations
The MCC just released its first five impact evaluations. Sarah Jane Staats applauds, and says pass/fail matters less than what the MCC learns from the evidence. William Savedoff calls it the biggest experiment in evaluation and digs into what it could mean for systematic learning, better impact evaluations and farmer training programs.

Additional Resources

Todd Moss says the next US president’s development legacy should be closing Africa’s energy poverty gap.
Amanda Glassman has five suggestions for the US global health agenda.
Kate Almquist tells AFRICOM's next commander Africa is not Afghanistan.
Franck Wiebe praises USAID Forward's implementation and procurement reform but cautions the agency not to sacrifice program quality or competition.
Justin Sandefur on UK Prime Minister David Cameron's development and foreign aid vision.
USGLC on what the election means for foreign policy, the US budget and the top development and diplomacy jobs.
CQ/Roll-Call's Guide to the 113th Congress (C-SPAN video).