How much would you guess the United States spends on foreign
aid? Go ahead! Take a guess. If you guessed 25%, which is what
the Washington Times reported most Americans thought to be spend
on foreign aid in 2011, you would still believe that we spent
less than a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The
survey, which was a random selection of 1,205 adults ages 18 and
older across the United States, found that the average American
believed that 27% of the budget was allotted for foreign aid
spending in 2012. The reality of aid spending in the United
States is actually staggeringly less. The U.S government spends
around 1% of the budget on aid, not including projects in
Afghanistan and Iraq (this is included in defense spending).
This is a far cry from commitments mad in 1970, and almost every
major summit since. In 1970, the world’s rich countries agreed
to give 0.7% of their GNI (Gross National Income) as official
international development aid, annually. Since that time,
despite billions given each y