It is fairly easy to differentiate between the views of Sachs and Easterly on the topic of foreign aid. But Collier’s views are of a different variety.
In my opinion, Collier is closer to Sachs in his views than he is to Easterly. Sachs talks a great deal in his aid research and advice about the “poverty trap.” Collier talks about other kinds of traps: the possible problem of corruption and the problem of natural resources being misused. However, he provides concrete solutions for the effective use of aid, rather than just speaking of a quota, like Sachs does, with little plan for its allocation.
Collier is far more intervention-centered. He believes that the Western world has to work together to help the developing countries of the world and that they can’t just do it by giving the nations money. Because the money has been misused in many countries, they need to supervise how it’s divided and what it’s used for. The money, according to Collier, also needs to be given gradually, rather than all at once. He believes that Western nations need to enact policies that promote better governance and policies for the less developed nations using their aid money. It seems that he would like the United Nations to regulate this. He also includes a five step plan that includes ideas about aid going to the countries first who most need it.
Collier sits somewhat in the middle of the debate between Sachs and Easterly but seems to better address the issue because he provides moderate solutions.
