Number: 98-916
Title: Foreign Aid: An Introductory Overview of U.S. Programs and Policy
Authors: Curt Tarnoff and Larry Nowels, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division 
Abstract: This report provides an overview of U.S. foreign assistance programs and policies, presented in a question and answer format. It discusses the objectives of American foreign aid, how much the United States spends on overseas support, how the U.S. compares with other major economic aid donors, the role that Congress plays in influencing foreign aid policy and expenditures, and how the executive branch organizes and administers the multiple foreign assistance programs. It illustrates funding and program allocation levels over the past several decades, with special emphasis on changes in foreign aid spending patterns since the end of the Cold War.
Pages: 33
Date: January 19, 2005