GVPT Assistant Professor Shannon Carcelli Publishes New Book: Competing for Foreign Aid

Department of Government and Politics Assistant Professor Shannon Carcelli’s has published her new book, Competing for Foreign Aid: The Congressional Roots of Bureaucratic Fragmentation.

Carcelli’s work sheds light on the often-overlooked dynamics of U.S. foreign policy, challenging the assumption that foreign policy is shaped through a unified, centralized process. Instead, she argues that the fragmentation of U.S. foreign aid—and foreign policy more broadly—is an unintended byproduct of congressional politics.

The book explores how members of Congress, motivated by diverse interests and the need to build legislative coalitions, contribute to bureaucratic fragmentation by directing funds toward multiple agencies and pet projects. This process often dilutes foreign policy authority and creates competition and conflict across bureaucracies.

Through a combination of statistical analysis and in-depth case studies—including U.S. aid to Afghanistan after 9/11, the FREEDOM Support Act following the Cold War, and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)—Carcelli demonstrates how congressional interest and disunity drive fragmentation. While fragmentation can undermine policy effectiveness, her research also points to conditions under which U.S. foreign aid has achieved success.

Competing for Foreign Aid provides valuable insights for scholars, policymakers, and anyone interested in understanding the deeper political roots of U.S. foreign aid and foreign policy.

Order Your Copy of Competing for Foreign Aid

Published on Thu, 10/02/2025 - 16:38