1. What counts as “good aid”? What features or practices make an aid program helpful rather than harmful?
2. How do corruption and elite capture reduce the effectiveness of foreign aid? Can you think of concrete examples?
3. How might aid undermine local markets and producers? Is there a way to give aid without damaging those?
4. Does foreign aid reduce the incentive for governments to develop domestic capacity (tax systems, infrastructure, education)?
5. What role do institutions (rule of law, local accountability, government transparency) play in whether aid backfires or succeeds?
6. Are there ways for foreign aid to strengthen local systems rather than undermine them? What might that look like?
7. Might there be situations where refusing or limiting aid is better for long-term development?
