The document discusses U.S. foreign aid spending. It notes that the average American estimates that 26 beans (out of 100 representing the U.S. budget) are spent on foreign aid, but in reality less than 1 bean or 1% of the budget goes to foreign aid, which is about $35 billion. When considering foreign aid as a percentage of GDP, Americans estimate 26% is spent, but actually it is only 0.33% of GDP, which is equivalent to cutting one bean into thirds and spending one third of one bean out of 100 representing total GDP. The document aims to provide perspective on actual U.S. foreign aid spending compared to common misperceptions.

1. Foreign Aid
https://www.jonathanmilner.org/

2. Imagine the entire US federal budget is reduced
to 100 beans.

3. What is the total amount of the US budget?
(give or take a few billion)

4. What is the total amount of the US budget?
(give or take a few billion)
$3.688 trillion (Fiscal Year 2015)
Let me write that out fully
$3,688,000,000,000
That’s a lot of pizza!

5. What does foreign aid mean?

6. What does foreign aid mean?
Government spending on foreign health,
economic development, humanitarian
assistance, and democracy promotion.

7. Now back to those beans.
How many of those beans do YOU think the US
government invests in foreign aid?

8. How many of those beans does the AVERAGE
AMERICAN think the US government invests in
foreign aid?

9. How many of those beans does the AVERAGE
AMERICAN think the US government invests in
foreign aid?
26

10. How many of those beans DOES the US
government actually invest in foreign aid?

11. How many of those beans DOES the US
government actually invest in foreign aid?
Less than 1 Bean or 1% of the budget goes to
foreign aid. That translates to about $35 billion.

12. How close was the average American’s
estimate?
And how close was your estimate?

14. And what countries do you imagine get the
most in US foreign aid?

17. But don’t panic

18. Now, instead of thinking about the portion of
the US budget we invest in foreign aid, let’s
think about how much of the US GDP we invest
in foreign aid.

19. What does GDP mean?

20. What does GDP mean?
The broadest measure of a nation's total
economic activity. GDP represents the monetary
value of all goods and services produced within
a nation's geographic borders over a specified
period of time.

21. So you can do the math and figure this one out,
or you can just guess, or ask Mr. Google.

22. What portion of US GDP is spent on foreign
aid?
If it helps you can do the bean thing again and
think about out GDP as 100 beans…

23. Imagine the US GDP is reduced to 100 beans.

24. What is the total US GDP? (give or take a few
billion)

25. What is the total US GDP? (give or take a few
billion)
16.77 trillion USD (2013)
DURN!!!!!! We’re rich!
I’m gonna write that out all the way…
$16,770,000,000,000

26. What portion of our GDP do we spend on
foreign aid?

27. What portion of our GDP do we spend on
foreign aid?
The average American thought it was 26%.

28. What portion of our GDP do we spend on
foreign aid?
But in reality, if you combine private aid (Bill
Gates, the local Rotary Club, your parents) and
Government aid it equals, drum roll please...
.33% of GDP also know as 1/3 of 1% of GDP

29. What portion of our GDP do we spend on
foreign aid?
Here’s a nifty way to visualize that:

30. Imagine our GDP is 100 beans

31. Take one bean out, and keep the rest.
Them US

32. Take that 1 bean and cut it into thirds.

33. Keep two thirds of the bean, and invest one
third of one bean out of 100 beans. That’s right,
when you combine government aid and private
aid it equals about 1/3 of one bean out of 100
beans. Generous huh? Here’s how it looks
compared to other nations.

35. What do you think about all this?

36. Learning Extension
Check out this great NPR story on foreign aid.

37. Action Extension
Get 100 beans. Ask the bean question to 10 of
your friends. Have them write down their
answer to what portion of GDP we invest in
foreign aid on a sheet of paper. Take a picture
of them holding that number of beans in one
hand and 1/3 of one bean in another. Post to
Instagram #foreignaid Then contact your US
Representative and share your thoughts.

38. Check out 
More great slideshows on Slideshare
Our free engaging daily Class Starters!
All our GoPo Units and Lessons
100 Delicious bean recipes

39. https://www.jonathanmilner.org/