Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- I Contemporary American Society and Politics
- II Ideologia Americana or Americanism in Action: Transatlantic Encounters
- III Ideologia Americana or Americanism in Action: Foreign Policy
- IV Ideologia Americana or Americanism in Action: Impact of American Values
- Lack of Arguments or a Common Sense: Reasons of the U.S. Supreme Court's Preferences to International Community in the Process of Constitutional Interpretation
- American Private Foundations: Global Philanthropy or Global Hegemony
- William Thomas Stead and His 1901 Vision of the Americanized World
- The United State's Influence in the Legal Systems of Eastern Europe: Romania's Right to a Good Administration
- American Concept of Federal Union and Its Worldwide Influence
- V Ideologia Americana or Americanism in Action: Exceptionalism and Democracy Promotion
- VI Continuity and Change
American Private Foundations: Global Philanthropy or Global Hegemony
from IV - Ideologia Americana or Americanism in Action: Impact of American Values
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 September 2014
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- I Contemporary American Society and Politics
- II Ideologia Americana or Americanism in Action: Transatlantic Encounters
- III Ideologia Americana or Americanism in Action: Foreign Policy
- IV Ideologia Americana or Americanism in Action: Impact of American Values
- Lack of Arguments or a Common Sense: Reasons of the U.S. Supreme Court's Preferences to International Community in the Process of Constitutional Interpretation
- American Private Foundations: Global Philanthropy or Global Hegemony
- William Thomas Stead and His 1901 Vision of the Americanized World
- The United State's Influence in the Legal Systems of Eastern Europe: Romania's Right to a Good Administration
- American Concept of Federal Union and Its Worldwide Influence
- V Ideologia Americana or Americanism in Action: Exceptionalism and Democracy Promotion
- VI Continuity and Change
Summary
This paper explores the impact of American foundations on the development of the philanthropic idea and the organization of modern foundations round the world in the fields of research, education and social action. The international private philanthropy of major American foundations has been criticized for being too closely connected to American foreign policy aims. It has been accused of elitism, corporatism and/or racism, and of being aimed at building the position of America as a superpower. In spite of this, it has brought about an increased interest in international aid worldwide, with a growing number of gift s distributed to needy nations for development purposes. This paper tries to answer the question of whether it is done for strictly humanitarian or rather materialistic purposes, and how effective building numerous networks and social capital has been since WWII.
American private philanthropy has a very long tradition, dating back to colonial times, although it was not formalized until the end of the 19th century, when people of considerable affluence started establishing foundations for educational, humanitarian and research purposes. It is difficult to set the date when American foundations started investing abroad. However, there are many crucial moments when philanthropy abroad expanded considerably. On a multitude of occasions Americans were helping the needy, starving, and sick all over the world, no matter what the previous relations with the people of the country had been.
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- Information
- The United States and the WorldFrom Imitation to Challenge, pp. 241 - 250Publisher: Jagiellonian University PressPrint publication year: 2009