1. Introduction -- 2. The paradigm shift in development assistance -- 3. The World Bank and performance-based allocation -- 4. The Netherlands and the selection of recipient countries -- 5. The United States and the Millennium Challenge Account -- 6. Selectivity and good governance in the United Kingdom, Denmark and the European Union -- 7. Quantitative-empirical analyses of World Bank, Dutch and US aid selectivity -- 8. Conclusion -- App. A. Interviews -- App. B. The Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) -- App. C. IDA borrowers, by per capita income, 1999 -- App. D. Selection criteria of the Millennium Challenge Account -- App. E. Low-income and lower-middle-income countries in the analyses.