Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917–1972, Volume VII, Public Diplomacy, 1964–1968

121. Draft Paper Prepared in the Office of Policy and Research, United States Information Agency¹

Washington, December 30, 1966

Policy Program Directive No. 8:

AMERICAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE

Background

Critical views of American society and culture held by many foreigners are frequently based on one or more of the following notions:

— That the United States is a “cultural wasteland”;

— That the U.S. educational system, despite rich material facilities, is qualitatively inferior to that of several other countries;

— That the “democratic ideals” Americans talk about are mostly window-dressing, and that in reality U.S. society is shot through with gross racial injustices, economic inequities, and social disorganization;

— That America’s “capitalist” economic system results in riches and power for the few and exploitation and oppression for the many;

— That despite some technical accomplishments, the U.S. is not really in the forefront in scientific achievement.

Such views of American society and culture undermine confidence in the United States. They inevitably come to form part of the frame of reference within which U.S. actions and words are perceived and evaluated and thus they influence judgments about what the U.S. does and says in its relations with other countries. They color the way foreign people see U.S. intentions. For these reasons they have great relevance for the mission of USIA in all countries.

Policy and Treatment

USIA policy should be aimed at demonstrating not the perfection of American society and culture—an impossible and undesirable task—but rather their strength, diversity and richness, and capacity for change. It is these elements we want to stress in treating the following areas that are most important for U.S. foreign policy considerations:

(1) Education: Our treatment should underline the fact that the economic, scientific, and cultural accomplishments of the U.S. are solidly based on an educational system of high quality which is free to all through the twelfth grade and accessible to a large proportion of its citizens even at the university level; not rigidly controlled by political or social conventions; and continually experimenting with new forms, techniques, and organizational methods to improve existing systems and to solve new problems created by the expansion of man’s knowledge.

In discussing what remains to be done in this area we should point out that the Great Society² concept proposes to expand U.S. educational facilities so that every child and adult in the nation has full access to the education he needs. Of special significance to overseas audiences are the proposals in President Johnson’s Smithsonian address (9/16/65) that the U.S. engage in programs for the sharing of its educational knowledge with the citizens of other countries in a two-way exchange that will both enrich U.S. culture and assist the modernization process in other countries.³ Several of these proposals are embodied in the International Education Act of 1966.⁴

(2) Economic Strength: While avoiding invidious comparisons and undue emphasis on material wealth, our treatment should show that the U.S. has fashioned the most productive economy the world has ever seen, based on the dynamic inter-action of labor, business, and government. We should describe our mixed economy in such a way that audiences are not automatically alienated by their negative reactions to terms (such as “capitalism”) whose meanings have changed considerably over the years. Thus, we should show that our economic prosperity and strength are attributable to the balance worked out between freedom of private initiative on the one hand, and public regulation on the other.

Where appropriate we should detail such ingredients of our system as strong labor unions, social benefits, a progressive tax system, and government regulation of matters affecting the public interest. We should not obscure the fact, however, that our consumer-oriented economy and the discipline of the marketplace have led us to allocate our material and human resources productively. We should point out that when government regulation or control enters in, it does so in response to crisis or need rather than for ideological reasons, and that this introduction of pragmatism (as opposed to ideology) into government planning and assistance is perhaps the greatest contribution of the U.S. to economic theory.

(3) The Great Society: While the economic system described above has resulted in extraordinary productivity, minimal unemployment, and a generally high standard of living, some elements of the population are still relatively underprivileged in terms of our own standards which set the “poverty level” at an income of something over $3000 a year for a family of four.⁵ The Great Society is the expression of the goals set by President Johnson for improving conditions in disadvantaged sectors. Our treatment should show that among the basic objectives of American society are the elimination of ignorance, disease, poverty, and racial injustice—goals aspired to by most nations and which they can identify as their own.

(4) Racial Progress: In a world in which two-thirds of the population is non-white, how the U.S. handles its own minority problems can determine the degree of credibility foreign audiences attach to our profession of ideals. The United States has one of the most diverse populations in the world. In the acculturation process in the United States many minority groups have suffered discrimination, as they have and still do in many other countries. What is most significant in this process in the U.S., however, is not the clash of interests inevitably generated by the stresses and strains of social change, but rather the overriding fact that our social, political, and economic systems provide means by which minorities can be (and are) integrated into the mainstream of American life. And we should stress the corollary fact that in the present struggle for full participation by the Negro in American life, the full moral and legal weight of the federal government is on the side of peaceful social change.

(5) Scientific and Technical Achievement: The people of the world’s advanced countries respect scientific and technical achievement because they know the key role science and technology have played in improving man’s condition. Leaders of the developing nations are equally aware that modernization of their countries depends largely on the successful application of scientific and technical knowledge to their particular problems. It is understandable, therefore, that among our foreign audiences respect for such achievement can have special significance in determining attitudes toward, and judgments of, the United States.

Our treatment should show that the U.S. is one of the leaders of the international scientific community, with a depth and breadth of pure and applied scientific research unmatched in any other country. In describing U.S. space achievements and our other advances in the area of science we should stress the openness of these efforts and the willingness of our scientific community to share information and to provide specific know how and assistance to other countries throughout the world.

(6) Cultural Development: While the scientific and technological achievements noted above command worldwide attention and respect, important portions of our foreign audience place even greater emphasis on cultural and intellectual achievements as the measure of a society’s worth. Many, in fact, tend to equate cultural maturity with political maturity.

Our main point should be that the United States, drawing on the wealth of intellectual, artistic, philosophic and religious traditions brought by immigrants, has developed a dynamic culture marked by great diversity and freedom. The diversity is reflected in the wide range which characterizes writing and the arts in America today. The freedom is evident in our culture’s creative vitality and in the willingness of American artists (and their audiences) to experiment with new forms and new ideas. It has enabled us to make original contributions to many forms of the creative arts. We should further point out that the generally high standard of living in the United States, by providing a large proportion of the population with the necessary means, leisure, and educational background, has strikingly broadened the base of participation in all aspects of cultural activity. At the same time, the development of mass communications techniques has increased the ability of most Americans to share in the enjoyment of the culture of other lands as well as of our own. Our treatment should also make clear that the United States, as a matter of policy, seeks to share the best of its cultural products with the peoples of other nations, and invites reciprocation, through both private and governmental programs of cultural exchange. The U.S. believes strongly in the freedom to create, not only for its citizens but for peoples everywhere, and it vigorously promotes the free flow of culture among nations.

Summary

In explaining these dimensions, our task is to show that American society has the intelligence, character, and moral fiber to solve its own problems and has the capacity for world leadership; that it is coherent, dynamic, and fully committed to progress and change; that it is guided by humanitarian concerns; and that it has an exciting and varied culture. In portraying a society with these characteristics we should not imply that it is without imperfections or problems, nor should we imply that we believe our particular pattern of institutions and values is the “right” one for other people. To the extent that we exercise a leadership role we do so with genuine respect for the values of others and in full recognition of the contribution others must make to any solution of our common problems.

1. Source: National Archives, RG 306, Subject Files 1955–1971: Acc. #74–0044, Entry UD WW 102, Box 2, INF 1—PPD on American Society and Culture. No classification marking. No drafting information appears on the paper. In the top left-hand corner of the first page of the paper, written in an unknown hand, is the notation: “2nd Draft.”
2. See footnote 3, Document 83.
3. See Document 60.
4. An unknown hand bracketed this sentence.
5. According to the 1966 United States Census, $3306.00 was the “poverty threshold” for a family of four.