The Story of USAID’s Demise

The abrupt shutdown of USAID in 2025 exposed the contradictions at the heart of modern humanitarian aid. Long framed as an expression of American generosity, aid has always intertwined altruism with political, economic, and ideological interests. As competing narratives unravel, the future of global assistance remains uncertain, but the underlying human impulse to provide care and solidarity endures beyond any single institution.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Current History
Published
2026-08-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1525/curh.2026.125.874.46
Primary Topic
Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics
Type
article
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article

The Story of USAID’s Demise

Kelsey Hoppe
Current History
Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics
article

The Story of USAID’s Demise

Kelsey Hoppe
article en

Abstract

The abrupt shutdown of USAID in 2025 exposed the contradictions at the heart of modern humanitarian aid. Long framed as an expression of American generosity, aid has always intertwined altruism with political, economic, and ideological interests. As competing narratives unravel, the future of global assistance remains uncertain, but the underlying human impulse to provide care and solidarity endures beyond any single institution.

Current HistoryVol. 125(874)
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics
DOISourceOpenAlex
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The Story of USAID’s Demise — Kelsey Hoppe · Current History (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS