ABSTRACT
The United States (US) once provided most of its foreign assistance to developing countries on a bilateral basis, in large part on the expectation that this aid would produce visible changes in the recipient countries and a reservoir of goodwill benefiting US foreign policy. The multilateral development banks are autonomous international organizations which finance development programs in poor countries with money borrowed in the international capital markets or contributed by governments of the more developed countries. The concept “U. S.” and the term “U. S. Government policy” are rather imprecise, when it comes to assessing the goals and currents of US participation in the multilateral development banks. In the courtroom or in a parliamentary system, the “Government” may be a relatively distinct entity. Congress sets the limits and the criteria for US policy in the multilateral banks. Congress is a complex institution and its members frequently voice conflicting views about US policy in the banks.
