The Political Economy of Receiving Aid: A Research Agenda

In this introduction to the special issue, ‘The Political Economy of Receiving Aid’, we argue for moving beyond disciplinary silos and the narrow question of whether foreign aid is effective. Instead, we argue for better theorizing the political and economic impacts of the aid system on receiving societies. By aid system, we mean the complex network of relationships, norms and incentives between a broad constellation of actors and institutions, both informal and formal, working to deliver foreign aid. The articles in this special issue contribute to a more complex, holistic understanding of aid's impact on receiving societies. Aid is much more than an injection of funds into a domestic economy. Along with aid dollars come people, structures, ideas and norms that can alter receiving societies in powerful and unexpected ways.