ABSTRACT
In the US Congress, members, both Democrat and Republican, who share a keen interest in international development have been allies since the 1930s. While their other viewpoints may diverge, basic acceptance of the need for development goes unchallenged. Engaged NGOs and businesses appear relatively independent in comparison with a state that links development assistance to defensive and diplomatic affairs. This sphere of action has largely been spared controversy, being presented as one of the US foreign policy tools to ensure national security. In fact, the consensus on official development assistance has been more akin to status quo, appearing to hinge on the exclusion of development aid from public debate. The most visible mechanisms of development policy are the major and regular Presidential Initiatives (as on HIV/AIDS or Energy/Africa), which enjoy greater media coverage and are used to support aid programmes as a whole. Although intellectual circles are actively involved with development questions, foreign assistance is really only a concern for the interested elite: the public knows little about US development policy and thus neither supports nor condemns it.
