January 28, 2011 | 7:24 AM | By

U.S. foreign aid: Less than you think

FILED UNDER: Politics, foreign aid, Obama Administration, USAID

Most Americans think we spend a huge amount of money on foreign aid and that this is an area where we can afford to cut back on as Congress looks for ways to reduce debt.

As this info-graphic from the U.S. Agency for International Development should demonstrate, we don’t and we probably can’t (afford to cut further overall, though there may be a call for cutting specific programs while boosting others).

Part of the reason for the public ignorance of foreign aid is the peculiar reluctance our politicians have to talking about it as central to our national security and long-term interests. President Obama’s State of the Union speech, devoid of much talk about the rest of the world, is just the latest example.

Take a look at USAID’s graphic if you want to get a quick look at the facts rather than the rhetoric:

USAID

US foreign aid

So where does the money go?

This is just a screen grab. Go to the USAID link (here, or cited above) to see the full graphic. It’s very informative and easy to scan.