Less Developed Countries
Uploaded by phatkok2 on May 11, 2002
The United States has for a long time been involved in international affairs, either by pioneering and implementing foreign policies, or by providing financial support. The latter has been accomplished either through participation with institutions such as the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank, in which the U.S. gives significant amount of money, or through U.S. led international programs. Have military deliveries and aid risen or decreased to LDCs as time has elapsed after the cold war is a question debated over and over by scholars? The following lab reflects U.S. military deliveries to selected less developed countries (LDCs) from 1991 to 1996.
The data was taken from the Central Intelligence Agency’s statistical database, which are provided, online at http://www.odci.gov/cia. This particular data was of interest because of the growing economies seen in the time period and because of the world’s separation from communism and its potential threat. As mentioned, the Cold War was over and the U.S. could once again concentrate on spreading democracy to those countries in need, the less developed ones. It was of interest to see how much the U.S. spent on military aid to these specific countries because the U.S. has long advocated the improvement of LDCs and their implementation of Democracy. It is well known that these measures are taken in order to influence these countries to not only ally themselves to the U.S. but to accept and apply democratic policies within their governments. Another reason why I chose to review this particular data was solely due to the fact that we as citizens facilitate such spending. Other factors for selecting this variable include determining if the economic gains worldwide tend to have an impact on such spending. For example if we help out those nations in need, will they be apt to helping the U.S. under critical circumstances or is it all about themselves?
Before putting the dollar amount into a graph, I assumed that military aid in any form had indeed increased. I justified the assumption by focusing on the growing global economy and on the termination of the Cold War, which also sparked a proliferation of nuclear arms that were left behind by the old Soviet Union. Naturally, I expected to see an increasing trend throughout the six years covered. As one of the major powers in the world, we would be expected to support those countries in need and...