Say USAID More

Americans think about a quarter of the federal budget goes to foreign aid. The real number is less than 1%.

Asher Moss sees an opening in that gap. Polling shows Americans would like foreign aid to be about 10% of the budget, which makes his ask, the Two Penny Pledge of 2% for diplomacy and development, sound modest. After USAID’s dismantling, he founded the Alliance for American Leadership (A4AL) on the belief that public support for global assistance already exists; it just hasn’t been mobilized. His organization has delivered USAID flags to members of Congress, each one purchased by constituents back home, and sent young volunteers to knock doors and phone bank for candidates.

We get into the politics and strategy behind that work, including why a talk on USAID won over a room of Christian conservatives, why the simple case that aid saves lives persuades the public more than economic arguments, and why Asher keeps saying “USAID” even as others in the field want to move past the name. We also discuss how persistent calls and electoral pressure move an issue up the agenda, the tension between congressional earmarks and the flexibility development programs need, and what young Americans want from U.S. foreign policy.

The support is there. The work now is making it impossible to ignore.

Guest: Asher Moss, founder, Alliance for American Leadership

Topics: foreign aid advocacy, USAID, political mobilization, public messaging, Two Penny Pledge, congressional earmarks, young voters, U.S. foreign policy

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