Reflecting on U.S. Development Policy on the United States’ 250 th Anniversary
CSIS | 2026-07-06 | diplomacy
Topics: Trade, United States
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English Summary
The article argues that U.S. development policy must undergo a strategic overhaul to define its global leadership role in the 21st century. Current efforts are hampered by ambiguous terminology, a lack of clear alignment between stated goals and tools, and an over-reliance on traditional moral or security justifications for aid. For effective engagement, the U.S. must adopt 'Strategic Localization,' shifting away from duplicative systems to build trust with local governments and emerging coalitions in the Global South. Ultimately, Washington must articulate a single, coherent strategy that clearly links development investments to both national interests and domestic benefits, thereby strengthening alliances and defining its global posture.
中文摘要
本文論述美國的發展政策必須進行一次戰略性的徹底改革，以界定其在21世紀的全球領導角色。當前的工作受到模糊術語、既定目標與實施工具之間缺乏清晰一致性，以及過度依賴傳統道德或安全理由來為援助辯護等問題所困擾。若欲有效參與國際事務，美國必須採納「戰略在地化」（Strategic Localization）的模式，從重複性的系統轉型，以建立與全球南方地區地方政府和新興聯盟之間的信任基礎。最終而言，華盛頓必須闡明一套單一、連貫的策略，明確將發展投資與國家利益及國內效益掛鉤，從而鞏固盟友關係並確立其全球立場。
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