III.

Distribution of Aid

Several agencies are involved in distributing American foreign aid. The Department of Defense and the Department of State distribute military assistance. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) distributes most of the government’s development and food assistance, including money from the ESF. The Department of Agriculture also provides food aid. In addition, private voluntary organizations often cooperate with the U.S. government to distribute aid. For example, religious organizations such as Catholic Relief Services, and secular nonprofit organizations such as CARE, often work with the government to provide assistance to people around the world.

The Congress of the United States has criticized USAID for being inefficient and having duplicate functions. Several policymakers have sought to eliminate USAID and incorporate its work into the Department of State. In fact, under a 1999 reorganization plan, USAID lost some of its autonomy, and the Department of State gained greater influence over its direction and operation. In this sense, the degree of political control over foreign assistance has increased.