U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Development Agenda and Political Orientation In-depth Assessment

Key Chapter Title List

1. Mission and Overview (MISSION AND OVERVIEW)
2. Key Issues (KEY ISSUES)
3. Climate Change Policy (Climate Change)
4. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Agenda (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Agenda)
5. Refocusing Gender Equality on Women, Children, and Families (Refocusing Gender Equality on Women, Children, and Families)
6. Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance (Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance)
7. International Religious Freedom (International Religious Freedom)
8. Streamlining Procurement and Localizing the Partner Base (Streamlining Procurement and Localizing the Partner Base)
9. Global Health (Global Health)
10. Global Humanitarian Assistance (Global Humanitarian Assistance)
11. Regional Strategies (REGIONS)
12. Personnel Policies (PERSONNEL)

Document Introduction

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the development history, policy evolution, and future reform directions of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It focuses on key issues such as the alignment of U.S. foreign aid with national interests and the adjustment of aid strategies in the context of geopolitical competition. As the U.S. government's core agency for leading international development and disaster assistance, USAID, established in 1961 under the Foreign Assistance Act, has always had its mission and agenda tightly bound to U.S. foreign policy and national security interests. Its role has continuously evolved, from containing communist expansion during the Cold War to addressing contemporary geopolitical competition.

The report first outlines the historical evolution of USAID: promoting the economic, social, and political progress of developing countries to contain communism during the Cold War, later assisting Central and Eastern Europe in transitioning from socialism to free-market democracy, and in recent years, leading global development and humanitarian disaster response. During the Trump administration, the agency focused on the "Journey to Self-Reliance," advancing institutional restructuring, streamlining procurement processes, supporting local partners, and strengthening policy directions such as anti-abortion and religious freedom. The Biden administration, however, has reshaped it into a global platform for promoting controversial agendas like abortion rights, climate extremism, and gender radicalism, deviating from bipartisan consensus and causing dissatisfaction among allies.

In the section on key issues, the report deeply analyzes critical problems such as the disconnect between U.S. foreign aid and foreign policy, the competitive challenges posed by China's "Belt and Road" Initiative, and the impact of climate change policies on developing countries. Regarding China's geostrategic layout, the report details the countermeasures implemented by USAID during the Trump administration through initiatives like "Clear Choice," digital strategies, and regional partnership building. It also criticizes the Biden administration's policy tendency to terminate related measures and weaken competition with China.

The report also focuses on specific areas such as global health, humanitarian assistance, religious freedom, and procurement reform, revealing structural issues currently faced by USAID, including bureaucratic inertia, fund wastage, and a lack of diversity in partners. At the regional strategy level, it analyzes the current state and challenges of aid in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, emphasizing that foreign aid should serve core U.S. diplomatic objectives such as the Indo-Pacific Strategy and the advancement of the Abraham Accords.

Finally, the report proposes systematic reform recommendations for the next conservative administration: restoring the 2019 budget level, abolishing radical agendas, strengthening competition with China, advancing partner localization, and restructuring the global health and humanitarian assistance systems. These aims are to realign USAID with serving U.S. national interests and traditional values, enhancing the strategic effectiveness and sustainability of foreign aid.