Clair Apodaca

United States Human Rights Policy and Foreign Assistance

This study furthers the inquiry into the relationship between human rights and U.S. bilateral foreign aid. We build the most comprehensive data set to date, extending the time period (1976–1995) and enlarging the number of countries under review (140). Rhetoric aside, human rights considerations did play a role in determining whether or not a state received military aid during the Reagan and Bush administrations, but not for the Carter or Clinton administration. With the exception of the Clinton administration, human rights was a determinant factor in the decision to grant economic aid, albeit of secondary importance. To the question “Does a states human rights record affect the amount of U.S. bilateral aid it receives?” we answer yes for economic aid, but no for military aid. Human rights considerations are neither the only nor the primary consideration in aid allocation.

Economic globalization and violent civil conflict: Is openness a pathway to peace?

Abstract There has been little systematic assessment of the impact of globalization on armed conflict within states. Drawing from bargaining theories of conflict, we posit that the global marketplace functions as an “audience” that rewards or punishes the policy choices of states. Globalization, which connotes an increased exposure to this marketplace, increases the relevance of the “costs” that this “audience” may impose. These prospective costs thus encourage peace and stability, as states that are integrated into the global economy have more to lose by instigating and sustaining violent conflict within their borders. Employing a two-stage Heckman Model, we assess the impact of various facets of globalization, including access to information, trade, foreign investment and aid flows, on intrastate conflict within the developing countries for 1990–1996.

Preventing child malnutrition: Health and agriculture as determinants of child malnutrition

Food is the most basic of childrens needs and is central to their health, growth, and development. As noted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, malnutrition is the underlying cause of more than half of all childrens deaths worldwide. This study investigates the effects agricultural production and health systems have on the incidence of chronic malnutrition in children while controlling for other relevant factors. A multivariate statistical analysis of 137 developing countries reveals that the level of a countrys agricultural infrastructure is an important determinant of the rate of chronic malnutrition in children. In addition, total health expenditures, improved water and sanitation, and large medical staffs, along with improved womens status and child care practices are associated with a reduction in child stunting rates.

Child hunger and human rights: international governance.

1. Introduction 2. Child Hunger and the Rights-Based Approach 3. A States Obligation for the Childs Right to Food 4. The International Communitys Obligations Under the Human Right to Food 5. The Duties of International Financial Institutions to the Childs Right to be Free from Hunger 6. Transnational Obligations of Multinational Corporations 7. The Investment and Empowerment of Women 8. Hunger in the Developed World 9. Conclusion