Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - these are the founding principles of the United States. Founded only 250 years ago, America has proven its strength as a leading member of the global community.
To mark our country’s 250th birthday, I want to share with you an article from an A4AL intern, Cecile Charron.
Much of what makes America strong is its sweeping economic and ideological influence over the Western world and beyond. Through over a century of work outside of our borders, the United States has influenced global trade networks and helped foster democracies where autocracies used to reign. As we reach the 250th birthday, however, we find our reputation in decline, due in part to the withdrawal of foreign assistance by the current administration. Our founding principles cannot stay intact without the revitalization of robust and effective foreign assistance.
To understand America’s global influence today, we must understand its history—namely, its strategic use of foreign assistance and why it is imperative that we continue supplying it today.
It was under the first Roosevelt Administration in 1901 that America began making a name for itself on the global stage. Aiming to promote democracy abroad,l President Theodore Roosevelt’s foreign policy is well known: “speak softly and carry a big stick”. This motto discouraged the use of American military force, employing strategic diplomacy instead to achieve policy objectives.
By establishing America as a force for good in the global arena, Roosevelt opened the door to developing U.S. foreign assistance programs. In 1917, under President Woodrow Wilson, the United States entered the First World War. Though Woodrow Wilson originally took a neutral stance on WWI, by 1917, the U.S. officially entered the fray, with President Wilson announcing that we can create partnerships to “make the world safe for Democracy”.
The American involvement in World War I solidified our alliances on the global stage—alliances that we then had to work to preserve. Our engagement protected the tenets of democracy abroad, ensuring that both America and its allies could enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. World War I was a shock to the system—it proved that international conflicts can have domestic consequences. By establishing a precedent of addressing problems at their source, the United States set the stage for future leadership in foreign assistance.
Building on the lessons of the First World War, the United States approached rebuilding after World War II by heeding the importance of partnerships. It was at this time that modern foreign assistance began to take shape, namely in the form of the Marshall Plan. This act, signed by President Truman in 1948, was focused on economic recovery in 17 war-torn nations across Western and Southern Europe.
The Marshall Plan strengthened infrastructure, rebuilt economies and removed trade barriers. This had a major impact on the United States economy—it helped establish a European market for American goods, helping the U.S. avoid a post-war recession.
In 1953, eight years after phasing out the Marshall Plan, President John F. Kennedy sought to reform foreign aid to better suit the needs of the developing world. As a successor to the Marshall Plan, President Kennedy signed the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) in 1961. The FAA expanded the goals of the Marshall Plan and created the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In addition to providing capital and technical assistance, USAID also housed the Food for Peace Program, an international food assistance program. Originally created by the Eisenhower administration, Food for Peace was expanded under President Kennedy, sending surplus crops from the United States to countries in need. This program did not only helped struggling countries—but it also helped the U.S. by growing foreign markets for American goods, benefiting farmers and expanding the domestic agricultural sector.
By providing foreign assistance in the form of economic help, food aid, and humanitarian assistance, the United States has solidified its status as one of the world’s most capable leaders and strongest Western allies. By doing so, the United States has helped people around the world gain access to the same fundamental rights promised to American citizens 250 years ago—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Foreign assistance is one way the United States has put these principles into action. By investing in global health and responding to humanitarian crises, USAID has saved lives and expanded liberty across borders. Programs such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) have saved millions of lives by providing economic and medical aid, while humanitarian assistance in South Africa supported those fighting for human dignity. This demonstrates that U.S. foreign aid is not merely charity; it is the invocation of our founding principles, showing a commitment to values that have stayed with us since the genesis of our nation.
Now, 250 years after America was born, we have seen time and time again the benefits of robust foreign assistance. In today’s world, it is easy to think that international aid does not benefit US citizens. However, that is far from the truth. The U.S. has maintained its role as a global leader, protected our shores, kept diseases from crossing our borders, and expanded trade networks all through foreign aid.
On the 250th anniversary of our independence, it's time we honor these founding values. Together, we can elect a new generation of leaders dedicated to humanitarian leadership and restoring USAID. Chip in $25 to recognize America's 250th.
Asher Moss,
Executive Director, Alliance for American Leadership
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.