The right to development (RTD) has been part of the international debate on human rights for over thirty years3 but has not yet entered the practical realm of development planning and implementation. States tend to express rhetorical support for this right but neglect its basic precepts in development practice. Paradoxically, the United States opposes or is reluctant to recognize development as an international human right, and yet the current administration has proposed to nearly double its development spending under a program that is strikingly similar to the international RTD model. The purpose of this Article is to explore this paradox and through it reflect on the obstacles to the realization of the RTD and its compatibility with US foreign policy. Part I provides a brief historical sketch of the RTD. Part II examines the politics of the RTD, that is, the positions articulated in the diplomatic setting regarding the RTD in accordance with conflicting perceptions of national interests. Part III discusses US objections to the RTD and Part IV examines the similarities and differences between the RTD and the Bush Administration's new Millennium Challenge Account (MCA).