Article: Network perspective: The effect of global ties

Question 1

Network perspective

Answer 1

alternative explanation for why foreign aid is allocated

a single underlying cause is an oversimplification of a complex transnational process.

understanding aid from an institutionalist perspective - institutionalist motives drive aid allocation

bilateral foreign aid as a bimodal relational network

bilateral aid a transnational process supporting globalization

understanding aid as more than a financial transaction instead as a relational social network process between states

focus on what increases the number of donors

Using network data on all official bilateral aid relationships between countries and data on recipient country ties to world society

whether the promotion of world polity models, norms, and institutions, serve as an additional motivation for donors?

Question 2

Network perspective: Findings

Answer 2

out of all variables INGO memberships & hr treaty ratifications have strongest positive effect on aid ties

Those countries which are deemed good global citizens in that they sign on to the full array of global human rights treaties and have citizens involved with a higher number of international non-governmental organizations appear to be accorded preferential treatment by a higher number of donors.

motives for aid are complex and overlapping

global ties to world society (=INGO memberships & hr treaty ratifications) define the network centrality of recipient countries in the global foreign aid network (increased donor attention and a greater number of bilateral aid ties)

• higher level of adherence and connection to world society norms and organizations → increased number of aid relationships with wealthy donor countries. Less aid per capita.
• Prior explanations of aid allocation grounded in altruist or realist motivations are insufficient to account for the patterns of aid allocation seen globally in recent years.
• Countries receiving a greater amount of aid per capita are more likely to have a larger number of aid ties.

aid donor countries tend to provide small amounts of aid to developing countries as a courtesy or for reputational reasons.

(1) the effects of goods and services exports are no longer statistically significant;
(2) the effect of both GDP per capita and population are shown to reduce aid ties
(3) the effects of an increase in the level of democracy are reduced over the course of time

Question 3

def. aid relationships:

Answer 3

as a network lattice dependent on shared global norms, policy models, and organizational membership to that strenghten the relationships between countries, the organizations that implement aid, and the societies that mutually benefit.

Question 4

Aid as humanitarian

Answer 4

(1) aid is provided to fight poverty and promote development in support of ‘international humanitarianism’

donors work in solidarity with recipients

resolve humanitarian crises & combat poverty. concepts of charity & redistribution

Mixed results:

False: Donors are not providing more aid to poorer countries.

True: Poorer countries have a greater number of aid ties.

True: donors are less likely to maintain aid ties with a country as their level of GDP per capita increases.

Question 5

Aid as realist

Answer 5

(2) aid is provided to achieve donor national self- interest in foreign policy, trade, and other areas of donor priority

importance of past colonial ties, democratic systems, existing trade relationships, geo-political importance, and efforts to combat state fragility/conflict (false)

→ Independence timing indicates a reduced centrality count for countries in their first five years of independence, with fewer donors on average than after the five-year post-independence period.

(Socio-Economic Status) True: Donors are more likely to provide aid to trade partners than to non-trading nations.Countries with exports as a higher share of national income will attract aid from more donors.

(Geo-Politics and Donor Foreign Policy Interests): True to some extent →Donors have been shown to provide more aid to: democratic regimes, countries with colonial ties to the donor, post-conflict countries, and newly independent countries.

PROBLEM: Realist explanations do not, for instance, explain why donors would maintain aid ties with geopolitically or commercially unimportant aid partners that are neither their former colonies nor in great need in terms of poverty