In our polarized political system, the unspoken majority of center-leaning constituents are searching for ways to reconcile the extremes of the political system. Despite the ever-increasing levels of partisanship among Americans, the issue of foreign aid is as central as ever.
The fact that U.S. foreign aid is so unilaterally supported signals the considerable benefits it produces. For the fiscally-conservative Republican, aid is the key to unlocking the largest untapped consumer base in the world: developing countries.
Over 45 percent of U.S. exports now go to developing nations; a great pay-off for less than 1 percent of our GDP. For the socially-liberal Democrat, foreign aid has the humanitarian benefit of uplifting the world’s poor; the Left is conscientious of the fact that the number of people suffering from hunger is greater than the population of the U.S., Canada and EU combined.
And the benefits don’t stop there. The patriotic baby-boomer knows that foreign aid translates to American leadership on the global stage, and stabilizes regions at risk for harboring anti-American terrorists and other national security threats. The cosmopolitan millennial recognizes that aid is essential to our interconnected international community; foreign aid makes it possible to exchange ideas, culture and products.
It may seem impossible that one issue can cross the partisan boundary, or encourage our representatives to shake hands with competitors across the aisle. But when Tim Kaine can cosponsor foreign aid bill S.727 with Marco Rubio, anything seems possible. Foreign aid sustains the hope for bipartisanship in our polarized political age.
