Punching Below Its Weight: The U.S. Government Approach to Education in the Developing World

The Center for Universal Education at Brookings is pleased to announce the publication of Punching Below Its Weight: The U.S. Government Approach to Education in the Developing World. This report analyzes the effectiveness of U.S. government education work specifically in relation to conflict-affected and fragile states. Findings across five domains: global reach, resources, technical expertise, policy and multilateral partnerships show that the impact of U.S. global education aid falls critically short of what it is capable of achieving. Despite its substantial strength in this arena, the U.S. government's fragmented policy across agencies and its limited multilateral engagement prevent it from maximizing its strengths, leaving it punching below its weight on this important issue. In this sense, the U.S. government is an underachiever, failing to efficiently deploy its many capabilities and potential for maximum impact.