The always interesting Chris Blattman, on policy goals for Development Aid:

if you really wanted to waste your time the next two years you would start talking about reforming aid architecture... Coordination is the impulse of bureaucrats.

What would I do? I would stop trying to export the Patriot Act and take the long view: use what levers we have to strengthen oppositions (even the ones we don’t like), encourage more institutional checks and balances in centralized governments (i.e. almost every developing nation), and foster medium and large firms in foreign places. I think those are good bets for long term peace, security and growth.