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Pleasing the Principal: U.S. Influence in World Bank Policymaking

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  • Richard Clark
  • Lindsay R. Dolan

Abstract

How do policies in international organizations reflect the preferences of powerful institutional stakeholders? Using an underutilized data set on the conditions associated with World Bank loans, we find that borrower countries that vote with the United States at the United Nations are required to enact fewer domestic policy reforms, and on fewer and softer issue areas. Though U.S. preferences permeate World Bank decision making, we do not find evidence that borrower countries trade favors in exchange for active U.S. intervention on their behalf. Instead, we propose that U.S. influence operates indirectly when World Bank staff—consciously or unconsciously—design programs that are compatible with U.S. preferences. Our study provides novel evidence of World Bank conditionality and shows that politicized policies can result even from autonomous bureaucracies.

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  • Richard Clark & Lindsay R. Dolan, 2021. "Pleasing the Principal: U.S. Influence in World Bank Policymaking," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 65(1), pages 36-51, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:amposc:v:65:y:2021:i:1:p:36-51
    DOI: 10.1111/ajps.12531
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Fang Ye, 2023. "The New Development Bank and the structure of the multilateral development financial system," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 1957-1972, August.
    3. Yu Wang & Randall W. Stone, 2023. "China visits: a dataset of Chinese leaders’ foreign visits," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 201-225, January.
    4. Christopher Kilby & Carolyn McWhirter, 2022. "The World Bank COVID-19 response: Politics as usual?," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 627-656, July.
    5. McLean, Elena V., 2023. "Looking for advice: The politics of consulting services procurement in the World Bank," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    6. Gazi Mahabubul Alam & Samsilah Roslan & Abul Quasem Al-Amin & Walter Leal Filho, 2021. "Does GATS’ Influence on Private University Sector’s Growth Ensure ESD or Develop City ‘Sustainability Crisis’—Policy Framework to Respond COP21," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-21, April.
    7. Kern, Andreas & Nosrati, Elias & Reinsberg, Bernhard & Sevinc, Dilek, 2023. "Crash for cash: Offshore financial destinations and IMF programs," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    8. Gazi Mahabubul Alam, 2023. "Has Secondary Science Education Become an Elite Product in Emerging Nations?—A Perspective of Sustainable Education in the Era of MDGs and SDGs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-25, January.
    9. Ben Cormier & Mark S. Manger, 2022. "Power, ideas, and World Bank conditionality," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 397-425, July.
    10. Ben Cormier, 2023. "Chinese or western finance? Transparency, official credit flows, and the international political economy of development," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 297-328, April.
    11. Ryan Brutger & Richard Clark, 2023. "At what cost? Power, payments, and public support of international organizations," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 431-465, July.
    12. Mirko Heinzel, 2023. "Vytautas Jankauskas and Steffen Eckhard. 2023. The Politics of Evaluation in International Organizations (Oxford: Oxford University Press)," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 777-781, October.
    13. Kaya, Ayse & Kilby, Christopher & Kay, Jonathan, 2021. "Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as an instrument for Chinese influence? Supplementary versus remedial multilateralism," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).

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