<P> Foreign assistance is a core component of the State Department's international affairs budget, which is $49 billion in all for 2014 . Aid is considered an essential instrument of U.S. foreign policy . There are four major categories of non-military foreign assistance: bilateral development aid, economic assistance supporting U.S. political and security goals, humanitarian aid, and multilateral economic contributions (for example, contributions to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund). </P> <P> In absolute dollar terms, the United States government is the largest international aid donor ($23 billion in 2014). The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) manages the bulk of bilateral economic assistance; the Treasury Department handles most multilateral aid . In addition many private agencies, churches and philanthropies provide aid . </P> <P> Although the United States is the largest donor in absolute dollar terms, it is actually ranked 19 out of 27 countries on the Commitment to Development Index . The CDI ranks the 27 richest donor countries on their policies that affect the developing world . In the aid component the United States is penalized for low net aid volume as a share of the economy, a large share of tied or partially tied aid, and a large share of aid given to less poor and relatively undemocratic governments . </P> <P> Foreign aid is a highly partisan issue in the United States, with liberals, on average, supporting foreign aid much more than conservatives do . </P>

Which of the following statements regarding u.s. foreign and military policy is true