Abstract
This study investigates the provision of economic aid by the United States to Rwanda in the two periods 1994-1996 and 1996-1999. This separation of the emergency response period for the Rwandan genocide and the less immediate aftermath provides interesting conclusions regarding how administration and congressional motivations behind aid provision change over time. This work seeks to answer the question: how does human rights effect foreign aid outcomes and why. This is important both for understanding the status quo and why the US government reacts the way it does to overseas crises, but also in the interest of improving future responses. If the motivations behind aid allocations are understood, this knowledge can be used to encourage more accountable and effective use of foreign aid.