The Australian aid program faces a fundamental dilemma: how, in the absence of deep popular support, should it generate the political legitimacy required to safeguard its budget and administering institution?
Australia's Foreign Aid Dilemma tells the story of the actors who have grappled with this question over 40 years. It draws on extensive interviews and archival material to uncover how 'court politics' shapes both aid policy and administration. The lesson for scholars and practitioners is that any holistic understanding of the development enterprise must account for the complex relationship between the aid program of individual governments and the domestic political and bureaucratic contexts in which it is embedded. If the way funding is administered shapes development outcomes, then understanding the 'court politics' of aid matters.
This comprehensive text will be of considerable interest to scholars and students of politics and foreign policy as well as development professionals in Australia and across the world.
Whilst public support for the aid program in Australia is strong, Australians are wary of costs and want to ensure that aid is proven to be effective. Australia's Foreign Aid Program shows how aid fits into the story of Australia's place in the world and why this form of public expenditure persists, but also why its budget and administering institution have a perpetually tenuous existence.
"A brilliant analysis of the history of Australia's dilemmas in managing development aid. This is outstanding scholarship, an imaginative approach through the lens of 'court politics', and an invaluable guide for policymakers, practitioners in the field and anyone interested in the alleviation of global poverty." - Philip Flood, AO, former Director General of AusAID and Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia
"This book is so much more than a history of Australia's development assistance policies and agencies. It is an enthralling account of the Canberra "court politics" that shape policies and the fates of agencies, a sophisticated commentary on the global evolution of development policy, and a challenging account of the roles that aid play in foreign policy." - Professor of International Affairs and Dean of the College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University, Australia
"While there is a considerable body of research on the dilemmas faced by aid workers in aid receiving nations, little or no empirical investigation exists on the dilemmas faced by the same professionals when working with their own governments or citizens. This timely book presents a fascinating and factual account of the evolution of the Australian donor administration and aid program and highlights the dilemmas faced by aid workers when the democratic realities of their country become irreconcilable with their humanitarian objectives." - Mihir Bhatt, founder and director of the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute, India
