Work

Perceptions of foreign aid project quality in Bangladesh

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: How does information about the presence of foreign financing in a development project change people’s perceptions of that project? Using an informational experiment in Bangladesh, we find that information about US financing of a specific development intervention sends a positive signal about project quality; this effect is concentrated among individuals who are the least likely to have been exposed to the information ex ante. The information does not change the already high demand for foreign aid but does help citizens target their demands toward the existing donor. That foreign funding can be a signal of project quality helps explain an existing finding in the literature that individuals prefer foreign aid projects to government projects.

Source: Research & Politics

DOI: 10.1177/2053168017735200

Authors: Matthew S. Winters, Simone Dietrich, Minhaj Mahmud

Institutions: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois System, University of Geneva, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies

Language: English

Topic: International Development and Aid

Subfield: Development

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Partnerships for the goals, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $800