The Pros and Cons of Economic Development Economic development has gained a bit of a bad name outside the U.S., particularly in countries that have been on the receiving end of such "help." For decades, the U.S. as well as other countries engaged in nation-building development programs and related foreign aid to help bolster a Western front against what was seen as the same from a Communist threat. From the 1950s through the 1980s, the world saw heavy involvement of the U.S. all over, pumping billions of dollars into countries under development programs but also for political interests as well. As a result, many in the third world see help from the West as compromised and tainted. It is not truly help; somewhere along the process there is a price wanted by the Americans or Western countries involved. Much of this problem has had to do with the poor choices successive U.S. administrations had to choose from or supported, depending on the situation. By supporting questionable country leaders, getting caught up in local politics, and taking military sides when deemed political necessary, the U.S.' help became seen as help not wanted. Instead of a focus on regional development, the help was instead viewed as cover for U.S. "colonialism."  This is not to say the U.S. was unique in this behavior. Russia, Great Britain, Germany, France, and many other first world countries all used economic development as a method of getting directly involved in a country's issues while under the cover of "helping." Today, China uses the same principles to gain access to valuable resources needed back home due to its own exploding industrial growth. On the other hand, many a region and country has benefited from new schools, transportation systems, and business and labor opportunities. Despite the obvious trade- off of raw mineral exports from Africa to Asian benefactors, those same African countries are now being provide technology and computer resources that otherwise would never have been available. Infrastructure and modernization gets paid for by richer countries looking for natural resources not available in their home territories, so some would argue the trade-off has clear benefits as well. The problem with resource-based development exchanges, unfortunately, has to do with the fact that they are finite. When the resources eventually run out, the development support tends to stop. Governments falter and fall in on themselves when the outside funding runs out or gets decreased. The exit by developers tends to be sudden and with little warning sometimes, causing much bitterness as delicate, propped-up systems begin to crumble quickly without maintenance. Depending if you're a recipient or an affected interested, development can be a boon or curse. There is no question that those who hold the purse strings of such activity can determine who it benefits. As a result, these financial hands of influence can pick and choose which recipients or countries gain the resources to grow versus fall behind. It can mean opportunity or unfairness for those scrambling to receive. Home - Definition Economic & Political Goals Sales or Development? The Pros & Cons Who & Why? Privacy Policy The good and bad sides of economic development.