IN THE SERVICE OF HUMANITY OR IN THE NATION’S SERVICE? POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF FOREIGN HEALTH AID AND PROMOTION OF US VALUES

Abstract

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is one of the most successful foreign aid policies of all time, in terms of medical impact. However, major proponents of the bill say that it also provides benefits for the United States in terms of promoting a positive view of the country in the recipient states. This paper seeks to investigate if there are benefits for the United States in PEPFAR, specifically in terms of promoting democracy as a form of government. I argue that all foreign aid is inherently political in its motivations and that PEPFAR is no exception. Using newly released data from the US Department of State and Afrobarometer survey data, I find that the number of PEPFAR-sponsored clinics and the proximity to health clinic is positively correlated with higher opinions of democracy. I additionally find that there are larger positive impacts on the opinions of poorer individuals. The findings consequently support for the hypothesis that foreign aid can strengthen positive opinions regarding the donor in recipient states.