Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume I, Foundations of Foreign Policy

89. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Clark) to Secretary of State Haig¹

Washington, April 2, 1982

SUBJECT

• Strategy for Building Democracy in Communist and Non-Communist Countries

The President has reviewed the proposal in your memorandum of March 8 for an “Institute for Democracy.” The proposal has many attractive features but before endorsing the proposal, he would like more specific information on several aspects:

— How the institute could avoid being seen as an agency of the U.S. government, while acting in a complementary way to government policies.

— How the institute would treat non-democratic countries which are friendly to the United States.

— The outlines of the organization of the institute: physical facilities required, composition of faculty, choice of students, decision-making authority to disburse funds to groups in other countries.

FOR THE PRESIDENT:

William P. Clark ²

1. Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Agency File, Department of State (02/13/1982–05/25/1982). Secret.
2. Clark initialed “WPC” above his typed signature.