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A Brief History of United States Foreign Development Assistance to Benin, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Senegal Since 2000

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2017, BA, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Political Science.
I am interested in this particular topic because I would like to further understand the real intent of United States foreign aid in five West African countries with different internal challenges and conditions. In this paper, I will be discussing whether or not the United States bilateral development aid that has been given to Benin, the Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, and Senegal has helped either country develop economically. These countries are grouped into different sections. Benin and Liberia are grouped together in one section. The Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Senegal are grouped separately from Benin and Liberia. Although the United States has given aid to Benin and Liberia, the assistance has not helped improve the economic development of neither recipient country. This same assistance has not enhanced the economic development of the Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Senegal. Benin and Liberia are two West African countries which are considered to be low income nations by different intergovernmental organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. However, the central conditions of Liberia and Benin differ. Benin is a stable democracy with continually great relations with the United States that still remains underdeveloped. In contrast, Liberia has faced a variety of different conflicts and tribulations. Bilateral relations between the United States and Liberia have been inconsistent due to different ideological alignments with the U.S. The countries of the Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Senegal are all West African countries with different statuses regarding internal economic development. All three of these West African countries have close, geographical borders within West Africa. However, all three of these countries are in different stages of economic development and state of relations between the United States. The Gambia is currently beginning to politically stabilize, however the economic conditions of the country have been deteriorating as well as the Gambias relation between the United States. Guinea Bissau has begun to improve its relations between the United States, while the economic and political conditions have been declining. The relations between Senegal and the United States have been consistent for decades as well as a consistent economic system at medium development. I will study a variety of economic factors and the historical relations between the United States and the nations of Benin, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Liberia and Senegal. I will be examining the bilateral economic development aid to all five of the West African countries by the United States. In order to look at the economic growth in each country, I will be observing each recipient countrys economic statistics. To gain understanding of the intent of the foreign assistance, I will investigate the relations between the United States and each donor country. In addition to discussing key arguments on the effectiveness of foreign aid, I will examine the amount of aid given to each country as well as different factors of economic development.
Babacar M'Baye, Dr. (Advisor)
Amoba Gooden, Dr. (Committee Member)
Steven Hook, Dr. (Committee Member)
Candace Bowen, Professor (Committee Member)
91 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Durr, S. J. (2017). A Brief History of United States Foreign Development Assistance to Benin, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Senegal Since 2000 [Undergraduate thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1493389407692537

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Durr, Samantha. A Brief History of United States Foreign Development Assistance to Benin, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Senegal Since 2000. 2017. Kent State University, Undergraduate thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1493389407692537.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Durr, Samantha. "A Brief History of United States Foreign Development Assistance to Benin, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Senegal Since 2000." Undergraduate thesis, Kent State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1493389407692537

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)