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The allocation of German aid: Self-interest and government ideology

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  • Dreher, Axel
  • Nunnenkamp, Peter
  • Schmaljohann, Maya

Abstract

We investigate the importance of geo-strategic and commercial motives for the allocation of German aid to 138 countries over the 1973-2010 period. We find that geo-strategic and - less robustly - commercial motives matter. When we relate geo-strategic and commercial motives to the political color of the German government in general, and the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Federal Foreign Office in particular, we find their importance to increase under socialist leadership. Socialist leadership also decreases the amount of aid commitments, controlled for other factors.

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  • Dreher, Axel & Nunnenkamp, Peter & Schmaljohann, Maya, 2013. "The allocation of German aid: Self-interest and government ideology," Kiel Working Papers 1817, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ifwkwp:1817
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    Cited by:

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    2. Toke S. Aidt & Facundo Albornoz & Esther Hauk, 2019. "Foreign in influence and domestic policy: A survey," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1928, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    3. Hippolyte Balima & Amadou Sy, 2021. "IMF-Supported Programs and Sovereign Debt Crises," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 69(2), pages 427-465, June.
    4. Jean-Louis Combes & Rasmané Ouedraogo, 2014. "Does Pro-cyclical Aid Lead to Pro-cyclical Fiscal Policy? An Empirical Analysis for Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers halshs-01084600, HAL.
    5. Brech, Viktor & Potrafke, Niklas, 2014. "Donor ideology and types of foreign aid," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 61-75.
    6. Yasemin Bal Gündüz & Masyita Crystallin, 2018. "Do IMF programs catalyze donor assistance to low-income countries?," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 359-393, September.
    7. Donaubauer, Julian & Meyer, Birgit & Nunnenkamp, Peter, 2016. "Aid, Infrastructure, and FDI: Assessing the Transmission Channel with a New Index of Infrastructure," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 230-245.
    8. Fuchs, Andreas & Richert, Katharina, 2018. "Development minister characteristics and aid giving," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 186-204.
    9. Nathalie Ferrière, 2022. "Filling the "decency gap"? Donors' reaction to the US policy on international family planning aid," AMSE Working Papers 2217, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France, revised Mar 2023.
    10. Hoeffler, Anke & Sterck, Olivier, 2022. "Is Chinese aid different?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    11. Axel Dreher & Vera Eichenauer & Kai Gehring & Vera Z. Eichenauer, 2013. "Geopolitics, Aid and Growth," CESifo Working Paper Series 4299, CESifo.
    12. Minasyan, Anna, 2018. "US aid, US educated leaders and economic ideology," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 244-257.
    13. Toke S. Aidt & Facundo Albornoz & Esther Hauk, 2021. "Foreign Influence and Domestic Policy," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 59(2), pages 426-487, June.
    14. Hippolyte W. Balima & Mr. Amadou N Sy, 2019. "The Impact of Bailouts on the Probability of Sovereign Debt Crises: Evidence from IMF-Supported Programs," IMF Working Papers 2019/002, International Monetary Fund.
    15. Jean-Louis Combes & Rasmane Ouedraogo & Sampawende J.-A. Tapsoba, 2016. "Structural shifts in aid dependency and fiscal policy in developing countries," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(46), pages 4426-4446, October.
    16. Barthel, Fabian & Neumayer, Eric & Nunnenkamp, Peter & Selaya, Pablo, 2014. "Competition for Export Markets and the Allocation of Foreign Aid: The Role of Spatial Dependence among Donor Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 350-365.
    17. Jean-Louis Combes & Rasmané Ouedraogo & Mr. Sampawende J Tapsoba, 2016. "What Does Aid Do to Fiscal Policy? New Evidence," IMF Working Papers 2016/112, International Monetary Fund.
    18. Dreher, Axel & Minasyan, Anna & Nunnenkamp, Peter, 2015. "Government ideology in donor and recipient countries: Does ideological proximity matter for the effectiveness of aid?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 80-92.
    19. Andreas Fuchs & Peter Nunnenkamp & Hannes Öhler, 2015. "Why Donors of Foreign Aid Do Not Coordinate: The Role of Competition for Export Markets and Political Support," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(2), pages 255-285, February.
    20. Rudolph, Alexandra, 2017. "The concept of SDG-sensitive development cooperation: implications for OECD-DAC members," IDOS Discussion Papers 1/2017, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    21. Axel Dreher & Vera Z Eichenauer & Kai Gehring, 2018. "Geopolitics, Aid, and Growth: The Impact of UN Security Council Membership on the Effectiveness of Aid," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 32(2), pages 268-286.
    22. Hicks, Daniel L. & Hicks, Joan Hamory & Maldonado, Beatriz, 2016. "Women as policy makers and donors: Female legislators and foreign aid," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 46-60.
    23. Li, Mingshan & Sun, Xiaohua & Wang, Yun & Song-Turner, Helen, 2019. "The impact of political connections on the efficiency of China's renewable energy firms," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 467-474.
    24. Kaplan, Lennart, 2020. "Systemic challenges and opportunities of Franco-German development cooperation," IDOS Discussion Papers 10/2020, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    25. Fuchs, Andreas & Richert, Katharina, 2015. "Do Development Minister Characteristics Affect Aid Giving?," Working Papers 0604, University of Heidelberg, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    aid allocation; government ideology;

    JEL classification:

    • F35 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Aid
    • F53 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - International Agreements and Observance; International Organizations
    • F63 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Economic Development

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