Military aid: Military Spending in Low-Income Countries
Military aid: Military and Development Aid
Is this explicit and implicit funding of military expenditure in low-income countries a problem? After all, these countries have security concerns, and without security no state can provide basic services to its citizens. Without security, economic development is not possible. Studies show that higher military expenditure in poor countries hinders their development (Deger and Smith 1983), suggesting that these countries should spend more on basic services such as infrastructure, health, and education rather than on the military. There is also evidence that highermilitary expenditure does not lower the risk of civil war, which is the most common form of largescale violent conflict. It may even be the case that highermilitary expenditure in postconflict situations is particularly damaging because it increases the risk of a recurrence of civil war. Rebels may not trust the government to stick to a peace settlement if they observe an increase in armament (Collier and Hoeffler 2006). They are then more likely to restart a rebellion. To summarize, many developing countries receive direct and indirectmilitary aid, but the evidence so far suggests that it neither helps them to develop economically nor increases their security.