Extract: Since the end of World War II support for aid has waxed and waned. But what has particularly characterized the post-war foreign aid enterprise is its durability: aid has managed to reinvent and renew itself. In particular, the first years of the 21st century have witnessed a steady expansion of aid and growing attention of political leaders to the problems of global poverty. This has resulted in aid being given a new prominence, with repeated pledges being made at world summits to provide more aid. Between 2004 and 2005, for instance, a massive jump in aid occurred from $80bn to over $100bn...