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Race, Paternalism, and Foreign Aid: Evidence from U.S. Public Opinion

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  • BAKER, ANDY

Abstract

Virtually all previous studies of domestic economic redistribution find white Americans to be less enthusiastic about welfare for black recipients than for white recipients. When it comes to foreign aid and international redistribution across racial lines, I argue that prejudice manifests not in an uncharitable, resentful way but in a paternalistic way because intergroup contact is minimal and because of how the media portray black foreigners. Using two survey experiments, I show that white Americans are more favorable toward aid when cued to think of foreign poor of African descent than when cued to think of those of East European descent. This relationship is due not to the greater perceived need of black foreigners but to an underlying racial paternalism that sees them as lacking in human agency. The findings confirm accusations of aid skeptics and hold implications for understanding the roots of paternalistic practices in the foreign aid regime.

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  • Baker, Andy, 2015. "Race, Paternalism, and Foreign Aid: Evidence from U.S. Public Opinion," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 109(1), pages 93-109, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:apsrev:v:109:y:2015:i:01:p:93-109_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Prather, Lauren, 2024. "Ideology at the Water’s Edge: Explaining Variation in Public Support for Foreign Aid," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    2. Heinrich, Tobias & Kobayashi, Yoshiharu & Bryant, Kristin A., 2016. "Public Opinion and Foreign Aid Cuts in Economic Crises," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 66-79.
    3. Kobayashi, Yoshiharu & Heinrich, Tobias & Bryant, Kristin A., 2021. "Public support for development aid during the COVID-19 pandemic," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    4. Jens Eger & Sebastian H. Schneider & Martin Bruder & Solveig H. Gleser, 2023. "Does Evidence Matter? The Impact of Evidence Regarding Aid Effectiveness on Attitudes Towards Aid," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 35(5), pages 1149-1172, October.
    5. Cobo–Reyes, Ramon & Dominguez, Jose J. & García–Quero, Fernando & Grosskopf, Brit & Lacomba, Juan A. & Lagos, Francisco & Liu, Tracy Xiao & Pearce, Graeme, 2020. "The development of social preferences," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 653-666.
    6. Christopher A. Simon & Michael C. Moltz, 2019. "Immigrant Citizens and Racial Resentment in International Policy Perspective: The Role of Nativity and Racial Resentment in Shaping Support for US Foreign Assistance Expenditure, 2002–2016," Development, Palgrave Macmillan;Society for International Deveopment, vol. 62(1), pages 186-195, December.
    7. Cristina Cattaneo & Daniela Grieco & Nicola Lacetera & Mario Macis, 2024. "Out-group Penalties in Refugee Assistance: A Survey Experiment," NBER Working Papers 32139, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Donavon Johnson & Alexander Kroll, 2021. "What makes us tolerant of administrative burden? Race, representation, and identity," Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, Center for Experimental and Behavioral Public Administration, vol. 4(1).
    9. Erin Baggott Carter & Brett L. Carter, 2024. "Broadcasting Out-Group Repression to the In-Group: Evidence From China," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 68(6), pages 1080-1108, July.
    10. Lauren L. Ferry & Emilie M. Hafner-Burton & Christina J. Schneider, 2020. "Catch me if you care: International development organizations and national corruption," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 767-792, October.

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