Displacement: An Analysis of Foreign Aid and Its Effects on Migration Patterns in Latin America

To influence a country’s behavior, aid has been used to push for specific changes, whether it be to increase security in a country or to sponsor social programs. Using neoclassical realism, this paper will analyze if US aid influences migration patterns, specifically, if U.S. foreign policy through aid creates conditions that encourage or discourage migration of people to the United States. This paper will analyze between the years 1980- 2017 to see if the Cold War played a part or if the post- Cold War international arena pivoted the United States to focus on migration patterns in Latin America