Altruism and its limits: the role of civil and political rights for American and French aid towards the Middle East and North Africa

This article studies if and under which circumstances Western support to regimes in the Middle East and North Africa (MEAN) is contingent on concerns for political and civil rights. Using foreign aid as a proxy for support, we compare the role of political and civil rights with the role of different geopolitical and economic factors for aid allocation. We analyze French and US aid flows to 12 MEAN countries, covering the period from 1990-2005. We find that, for both countries, strategic concerns are highly relevant for aid allocation; civil and political rights also matter, but only in places of no strategic value. Thus, although French and US foreign aid goes to different countries, the underlying motives are remarkably similar. Finally, to the extent that there is a difference between the two countries, France fairs worse than even US military aid regarding the consideration of civil and political liberties.