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Aid effectiveness and limited enforceable conditionality

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  • Scholl, Almuth

Abstract

This paper analyzes optimal foreign aid policy in a neoclassical framework with a conflict of interest between the donor and the recipient government. Aid conditionality is modelled as a limited enforceable contract. We define conditional aid policy to be self-enforcing if, at any point in time, the conditions imposed on aid funds are supportable by the threat of a permanent aid cutoff from then onward. Quantitative results show that the effectiveness of unconditional aid is low while self-enforcing conditional aid strongly stimulates the economy. However, increasing the welfare of the poor comes at high cost: to ensure aid effectiveness, less democratic political regimes receive permanently larger aid funds.

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  • Scholl, Almuth, 2005. "Aid effectiveness and limited enforceable conditionality," SFB 649 Discussion Papers 2005-054, Humboldt University Berlin, Collaborative Research Center 649: Economic Risk.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:sfb649:sfb649dp2005-054
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    Cited by:

    1. Le Van, Cuong & Pham, Ngoc-Sang & Pham, Thi Kim Cuong, 2023. "Effects of development aid (grants and loans) on the economic dynamics of the recipient country," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 101-112.
    2. Mark Aguiar & Manuel Amador, 2011. "Growth in the Shadow of Expropriation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 126(2), pages 651-697.
    3. Carter, Patrick & Postel-Vinay, Fabien & Temple, Jonathan, 2015. "Dynamic aid allocation," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(2), pages 291-304.
    4. Ozan Hatipoglu & Alp Eren Akyuz, 2018. "Donor-oriented foreign aid, trade and growth," Working Papers 2018/01, Bogazici University, Department of Economics.
    5. Li, Larry & Sy, Malick & McMurray, Adela, 2015. "Insights into the IMF bailout debate: A review and research agenda," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 891-914.
    6. Le Van, Cuong & Pham, Ngoc-Sang & Pham, Thi Kim Cuong, 2021. "Development loans, poverty trap, and economic dynamics," MPRA Paper 110870, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Stéphane Pallage & Michel A. Robe, 2015. "Counterpart funding requirements and the foreign aid procyclicality puzzle," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 31(3-4), pages 462-480.
    8. Bauducco, Sofia & Caprioli, Francesco, 2014. "Optimal fiscal policy in a small open economy with limited commitment," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 302-315.
    9. Temple, Jonathan R.W., 2010. "Aid and Conditionality," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Dani Rodrik & Mark Rosenzweig (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 4415-4523, Elsevier.
    10. Fink, Fabian & Scholl, Almuth, 2016. "A quantitative model of sovereign debt, bailouts and conditionality," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 176-190.
    11. Almuth Scholl, 2018. "Debt Relief for Poor Countries: Conditionality and Effectiveness," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 85(339), pages 626-648, July.
    12. Carter, Patrick, 2014. "Aid allocation rules," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 132-151.
    13. Thi Kim Cuong PHAM & Ngoc-Sang PHAM, 2017. "Economic growth and escaping the poverty trap: how does development aid work?," Working Papers P197, FERDI.
    14. Bag, Parimal Kanti & Roy Chowdhury, Prabal, 2016. "Gradualism in aid and reforms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 108-123.
    15. Victor, David G., 2013. "Foreign Aid for Capacity-Building to Address Climate Change: Insights and Applications," WIDER Working Paper Series 084, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    16. David Victor, 2013. "Foreign Aid for Capacity-Building to Address Climate Change: Insights and Applications," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2013-084, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    17. Parimal Kanti Bag & Prabal Roy Chowdhury, 2016. "Gradualism in Aid and Reforms," Discussion Papers 16-03, Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi.
    18. Nikolai Stähler, 2013. "Recent Developments In Quantitative Models Of Sovereign Default," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 605-633, September.
    19. Atsuko Tanaka, "undated". "Notes on Foreign Aid Selectivity Based on Human Capital," Working Papers 2015-23, Department of Economics, University of Calgary, revised 27 Sep 2015.

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    JEL classification:

    • E13 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Neoclassical
    • F35 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Aid
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O19 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - International Linkages to Development; Role of International Organizations

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