U.S. leadership in international development

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was created by President Kennedy in 1961 to further America’s interests abroad while improving lives in the developing world. Today the Agency serves on the frontlines of America’s efforts to address extreme poverty while responding to global conflict crises and natural disasters around the world. But is it keeping up with the times to leverage this assistance for better outcomes?

In her first major policy speech, USAID Administrator Gayle Smith will join AEI and the Brookings Institution on March 9 to discuss her vision for USAID, the efforts of the Agency in the world’s trouble spots, and the future of U.S. leadership in international development. Administrator Smith will join AEI’s Danielle Pletka and Brookings’s George Ingram for a conversation following her remarks.