January 26, 2021
Both advocates and practitioners of global development have called on the Biden-Harris administration to elevate development as an instrument of national security and an expression of U.S. national character. The nomination of former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power as administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), now with a seat on the National Security Council (NSC), is an important step in that direction. Additionally, a strategy for global development can strengthen and consolidate development objectives. Yet, some policymakers, especially those who have been involved in previous strategic efforts, warn against burdensome processes that may not be worth the time and effort. Having both contributed to prior strategies and worked in the absence of one, our answer is emphatically yes: