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US Development Policy

CGD seeks to inform the US government’s approach to international development by bringing evidence to bear on questions of “what works” and proposing reforms to strengthen US foreign assistance tools.

The policies and practices of the US government wield formidable influence on global development. CGD seeks to strengthen US foreign assistance tools with evidence of “what works” and propose reforms grounded in rigorous analysis across the full range of investment, trade, technology and foreign assistance related issues. With high-level US government experience and strong research credentials, our experts are sought out by policymakers for practical ideas to enhance the US’s leading role in promoting progress for all.

Featured Work

Disinfection and decontamination on a marketplace “Krasno selo” as a prevention against Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
April 3, 2020
Blog Post
The CARES Act: A Down Payment on Global COVID-19 Response...
Erin Collinson
CGD's DFI Dashboard
January 15, 2020
Featured from CGD
Introducing the DFI Dashboard
Secretary Pompeo and Advisor Trump Celebrate the W-GDP Initiative's One-Year Anniversary
March 23, 2020
Blog Post
W-GDP One Year On: Taking Stock and Looking Forward
Megan O'Donnell

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Jocilyn Estes
jestes@cgdev.org

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The Future of US Government Development Assistance to Fragile States

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Related US Development Policy Content

February 12, 2018
Article
Statement on the Trump Administration’s Proposal to...
Todd Moss
Contact: Holly Shulman Center for Global Development HShulman@cgdev.org, (202) 416-4040 Washington – Today, the Trump administration included in its budget funding for a new Development Finance Institution (see page 129 here). Below is a statement from Todd Moss, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, who has been a leading advocate for modernizing U.S. development finance over the past several years: “Because of the changing global landscape, development finance – rather than aid – is the future. Many previously poor countries are richer today and are looking for partnerships with the United States to deliver jobs, roads, and electricity instead of just aid. “That’s why it’s so important that the administration included a proposal in its budget to create a new development finance institution. Expanding our commitment to development finance promotes deep capital markets, our culture of entrepreneurship, and our belief in free markets while at the same time spurring economic growth in the developing world. “The White House today has shown its willingness to build markets for American goods in fast-growing emerging markets, support private sector led growth in our strategic allies, and ensure that U.S. companies are competing in these markets with Chinese and European firms—all at less than zero cost to taxpayers. Now, it’s up to Congress to finish the job.” ##
February 9, 2018
Blog Post
Is the New Budget Deal Good for Foreign Aid? Maybe. Is it...
Scott Morris

Foreign aid advocates might be tempted to take heart from the budget deal just struck on Capitol Hill. But the overall shift in the US fiscal position, driven primarily by last year's tax cuts and furthered by this spending agreement, suggests that developing countries will be net losers by orders of magnitude that swamp the entire US foreign assistance budget.

February 7, 2018
Blog Post
Why It’s Important to Get the United States Back to the...
Scott Morris

As donors gather next week in Rome to pledge funds to the International Fund for Agriculture Development , they may be wondering where the United States is. Given the generally high marks this independent fund earns for development effectiveness, the uncertainty around a US pledge is troubling. In this “America First” moment, it’s worth asking when it comes to IFAD, what’s in it for the United States and what will be lost if the United States drops out?

February 5, 2018
Blog Post
Efficiency and Effectiveness: The Legacy of MCC’s...
Sarah Rose

One of the biggest questions donors grapple with is how to balance implementing specific projects with building local capacity to execute similar programming in the future. Indeed, this question is central to the conversation—now active at USAID—about how donors can “work themselves out of a job.” One good example of how this can look comes from the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) 2005-2010 partnership with Honduras. In this story, a key part of MCC’s legacy is not about what the agency funded but how it funded it.

January 19, 2018
Blog Post
A Step Closer to Regional Compact Authority for MCC
Sarah Rose

This week, MCC edged one step closer to securing new authorities that would better position the agency to undertake regional programming. Similar provisions were included in fully five bills in the 114th Congress, but none made it over the finish line. Hopefully 2018 will be the year.

January 16, 2018
Blog Post
How Can USAID Work Itself Out of a Job? Ideas for Smart...
Sarah Rose and Erin Collinson

In recent months, USAID has been working diligently to craft its approach to “strategic transitions,” framing the principles it will follow, the benchmarks that will help inform transition decisions, and the programs and tools it can bring to bear. This Thursday, in a public discussion with the agency’s Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA), USAID will outline its initial thinking about strategic transitions. Our recent paper, Working Itself Out of a Job: USAID and Smart Strategic Transitions, offers some advice to the agency as it charts the course ahead. Here are the main takeaways.

December 20, 2017
Blog Post
How Does Development Fare in Trump’s National Security...
Erin Collinson

This week, the White House unveiled the first National Security Strategy of the Trump administration. As always, we were eager to see how the strategy considered the role of development. While there’s a lot to unpack in the 68-page document, here are few things that caught our eye. 

December 14, 2017
Blog Post
What to Watch for from MCC’s Upcoming Country Eligibility...
Sarah Rose

Every December, MCC’s board of directors meets to select the set of countries eligible for MCC’s compact or threshold programs. And each year, before the board meeting, CGD’s US Development Policy Initiative publishes a discussion of the overarching issues expected to impact the decisions alongside its predictions for which countries will be selected. Here’s what to watch for at the upcoming MCC board meeting on December 19.

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October 28, 2016
Publication
First Hundred Days for Global Health
Amanda Glassman and Rachel Silverman

Attention presidential transition teams: The first hundred days of the new administration should kick start an ambitious agenda in global health alongside long-needed reforms to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of US action. Building on our earlier work, we suggest seven priority actions within three broad categories.

August 21, 2017
Blog Post
Taking Stock of Aid Agency Evaluations in Global Health:...
Janeen Madan Keller and William Savedoff

With the US Congress considering cuts to foreign assistance and aid budgets in other donor countries coming under increased pressure, evidence about what works in global development is more important than ever. Evidence should inform decisions on where to allocate scarce resources—but to do so, evaluations must be of good quality. 

Disinfection and decontamination on a marketplace “Krasno selo” as a prevention against Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
April 3, 2020
Blog Post
The CARES Act: A Down Payment on Global COVID-19 Response...
Erin Collinson
January 29, 2013
Blog Post
Kerry’s Confirmation Hearing: Short on Development, Long...
Jenny Ottenhoff

Senator John Kerry aced his

April 11, 2017
Publication
Foreign Assistance Agency Brief: Overseas Private...
US Development Policy Team

Since 1971, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has served as the US government’s development finance institution. OPIC works to mobilize private capital to address development challenges while advancing US foreign policy priorities—furthering strategic, development, economic, and political objectives. OPIC aims to catalyze investment abroad through loans, guarantees, and insurance, which enable OPIC to complement rather than compete with the private sector. The independent agency also plays a key role in helping US investors gain a foothold in emerging markets and is barred from supporting projects that could have a negative impact on the US economy.

Donald Trump speaking at 2017 CPAC conference. Photo by Gage Skidmore
July 10, 2018
Publication
Trump’s Protectionist Threat to Latin America
Laura Alfaro et al.
Sarah Bermeo
August 9, 2018
Blog Post
Targeted Development with Sarah Bermeo – CGD Podcast
Holly Shulman
October 26, 2016
Publication
Grading Power Africa
Todd Moss

Power Africa has the potential to be transformative for millions of poor people and be the single biggest legacy in Africa for President Barack Obama. Observers now have roughly three years to reflect on the initiative: on what’s progressing well, what’s not, and where future risks may lie. While it is still too early to provide a complete analysis of outcomes, this report card provides a timely assessment at the close of this administration and an input to the next one. While the judgments of Power Africa are largely positive, the coming months will be crucial to keeping the effort on a positive trajectory.

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