American Empire through Foreign Aid: The Case of the Global Gag Rule

Mere days after his inauguration, President Donald Trump reinstated the Global Gag Rule (GGR). The GGR – also known as the Mexico City Policy – bans US federal funding for international NGOs providing services for abortions. The GGR, originally implemented under the Reagan administration, was maintained under President George H. W. Bush, before being rescinded by President Bill Clinton, reinstated by President George W. Bush, and rescinded once more by President Barrack Obama. However, the embracement of the gag rule under the Trump administration amounted to more than a reinstatement. In contrast to practices maintained during the Reagan and Bush administrations, Trump’s GGR targets not only specific family planning services, but entire organisations that provide such services. Moreover, it applies not only to Federal agencies providing developmental aid, but all “global health assistance furnished by all departments or agencies.” As such, Trump’s variant of the GGR is wider in its...Show moreMere days after his inauguration, President Donald Trump reinstated the Global Gag Rule (GGR). The GGR – also known as the Mexico City Policy – bans US federal funding for international NGOs providing services for abortions. The GGR, originally implemented under the Reagan administration, was maintained under President George H. W. Bush, before being rescinded by President Bill Clinton, reinstated by President George W. Bush, and rescinded once more by President Barrack Obama. However, the embracement of the gag rule under the Trump administration amounted to more than a reinstatement. In contrast to practices maintained during the Reagan and Bush administrations, Trump’s GGR targets not only specific family planning services, but entire organisations that provide such services. Moreover, it applies not only to Federal agencies providing developmental aid, but all “global health assistance furnished by all departments or agencies.” As such, Trump’s variant of the GGR is wider in its scope and has broader implications for the administration of foreign aid and, say critics, for global public health and human rights. This thesis shows how the GGR is used to consolidate political power domestically while also diffusing conservative Christian ideology through developmental aid. In this way, the GGR is shown to be an instance of intermestic policy which is used to simultaneously consolidate political power domestically, while exporting conservative Christian ideology through foreign aid as American empire.Show less

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American Empire through Foreign Aid: The Case of the Global Gag Rule