Foreign Aid and Political Reform - (International Political Economy) by G Crawford (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The linkage of development aid to the promotion of human rights, democracy and good governance was a striking departure in the post-cold war foreign policies of Northern 'donor' governments. Uniquely, this book provides a systematic and comparative investigation of policies and practices in the 1990s to promote political reform in Southern 'recipient' countries by four donors, the governments of Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States, plus the European Union. The use of both carrot and stick, that is democracy assistance and aid sanctions, is examined and sharp criticism of current practice offered.

Review Quotes

'...an important contribution to the study of a rapidly growing but still understudied field. Crawford's thorough, balanced, and insightful analysis sheds considerable light on how donor agencies conceive and execute democracy- related policies and programs. His comparative approach is especially valuable.' - Thomas Carothers, Vice President for Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

'...a unique and important contribution to an emerging genre in the literature. Crawford's conclusions for the first half of the 1990s will bear revisiting to see how far the main actors are prepared to go to address the policy of weaknesses and limitations that he so carefully uncovers.' - Professor Peter Burnell, University of Warwick

'This is the most comprehensive and authoritative work to date on the 1990s policy agenda of linking development aid to the promotion of human rights, democracy and good governance. Original in its comparative analysis of the policies of different Northern governments, it offers a critical assessment of their effectiveness, and draws significant lessons for the future. An indispensable guide to the state of contemporary relations between North and South, and the prospects for an ethical foreign policy.' - Professor David Beetham, University of Leeds

About the Author

GORDON CRAWFORD is Lecturer in Development Studies at the University of Leeds and has specialised recently in the role of external agencies in the promotion of democratisation, previously publishing a number of articles and book chapters on this subject.