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Citizen preferences and public goods: comparing preferences for foreign aid and government programs in Uganda

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  • Helen V. Milner

    (Princeton University)

  • Daniel L. Nielson

    (Brigham Young University)

  • Michael G. Findley

    (University of Texas at Austin)

Abstract

Different theories about the impact of aid make distinct predictions about citizens’ attitudes toward foreign aid in recipient countries. We investigate their preferences toward aid and government projects in order to examine these different theories. Are citizens indifferent between development projects funded by their own government versus those funded by foreign aid donors, as aid capture theory suggests? To address this, in an experiment on a large, representative sample of Ugandan citizens, we randomly assigned the names of funding groups for actual forthcoming development projects and invited citizens to express support attitudinally and behaviorally. We find that citizens are significantly more willing to show behavioral support in favor of foreign aid projects compared to government programs, especially if they already perceive the government as corrupt or clientelist or if they are not supporters of the ruling party. They also trust donors more, think they are more effective, and do not consistently oppose aid conditionality. This experimental evidence is consistent with a theory that we call donor control which sees donors asbeing able to target and condition aid so that it is not fungible with government revenues and thus to be able to better direct it to meet citizens’ needs.

Suggested Citation

  • Helen V. Milner & Daniel L. Nielson & Michael G. Findley, 2016. "Citizen preferences and public goods: comparing preferences for foreign aid and government programs in Uganda," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 219-245, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:revint:v:11:y:2016:i:2:d:10.1007_s11558-016-9243-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11558-016-9243-2
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    Cited by:

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    4. Samuel Brazys & Minhaj Mahmud, 2022. "Poisoning the Well? The "Last Mile" Politics of Donor Control and Elite Capture in Bangladesh's Arsenic Mitigation," Working Papers 202207, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
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    6. Thomas R. Guarrieri, 2018. "Guilty as perceived: How opinions about states influence opinions about NGOs," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 573-593, December.
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    8. Thilo Bodenstein & Achim Kemmerling, 2017. "The European Union as a Collective Actor: Aid and Trade in African Public Opinion," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 35(4), pages 567-586, July.
    9. Axel Dreher & Sarah Langlotz & Silvia Marchesi, 2017. "Information Transmission And Ownership Consolidation In Aid Programs," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 55(4), pages 1671-1688, October.
    10. Tatenda T Yemeke & Elizabeth E Kiracho & Aloysius Mutebi & Rebecca R Apolot & Anthony Ssebagereka & Daniel R Evans & Sachiko Ozawa, 2020. "Health versus other sectors: Multisectoral resource allocation preferences in Mukono district, Uganda," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(7), pages 1-15, July.
    11. Axel Dreher & Valentin F. Lang & Sebastian Ziaja, 2017. "Foreign Aid in Areas of Limited Statehood," CESifo Working Paper Series 6340, CESifo.
    12. 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.
    13. Brandon Cuesta & Lucy Martin & Helen V. Milner & Daniel L. Nielson, 2021. "Foreign aid, oil revenues, and political accountability: Evidence from six experiments in Ghana and Uganda," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 521-548, July.
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