THE UNITED STATES

ADVISORY COMMISSION

ON

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

REPORT

1980
Public diplomacy is a new label for an old concept. It supplements and reinforces

traditional intergovernmental diplomacy, seeking to strengthen mutual understanding between peoples through a wide variety of international communication and

educational and cultural exchange programs. The principal agency charged with the

conduct of American public diplomacy around the world is the 'International Communication Agency. The Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy is responsible

for advising and overseeing the work of the International Communication Agency

(USICA).

The work of USICA - and therefore the concern of the Commission - is

complex and broad. It includes: radio and television broadcasting, publishing, film

distribution, exchange programs, trade fairs, schools, libraries, exhibits, information centers, and a worldwide radioteletype network. Exchange activities alone are

of many kinds - research, lectures, study, observation, technical training, cultural

presentations, sports events, conferences, and interviews. Such activities may be

sponsored and funded by governments, private agencies, or both.

Public diplomacy requires the assessment of public attitudes and opinions and a

sensitivity to their influence on cross-cultural communications and the development

of foreign policy.

The International Communication Agency engages in public diplomacy:

• When a Fulbright scholar teaches anthropology in India;

• When Finland programs the USICA-produced story of Leonard Bernstein on

national prime-time television;

• When the Voice of America broadcasts to millions of listeners throughout the

Soviet Union;

• When USICA' s exhibit, "America Now," is introduced in Belgrade by

Mrs. Mondale as it begins a tour of Eastern Europe;

• When Colombian students learn English at a Binational Center in Bogota;

• When USICA escorts foreign journalists on tours throughout the United States;

• When producers of children's television programs from many countries,

sponsored by USICA, cOllvene and exchange experiences with their counterparts

in different American cities;

• When Japanese economists read USICA's Economic Impact magazine;

• When a USICA grant helps Boston to host mayors from more than 40 cities around

the world, celebrating urban renaissance and exploring future challenges.

It is tempting to present a very long list. The point, however, is simple and

straightforward; these activities, and so much else, are an integral part of

U.S.foreign policy. They help create a world more understanding of the United

States and its people and contribute to the development of American understanding

of others.
To the Congress and to the President of the United States

In accordance with the requirements of Section 8, Reorganization Plan No.2 of 1977,

and Public Law 96-60, the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy

submits herewith its first Report on the International Communication Agency.

Respectfully submitted,

Olin Robison, Chairman

Professor of Political Science

President, Middlebury College

VERMONT

John Hope Franklin

Senior Mellon Fellow,

National Humanities Center

Professor of History,

University of Chicago

ILLINOIS

"

Lewis Manilow

Attorney

President, Museum of

Contemporary Art

ILLINOIS

Jean McKee

Public Affairs Consultant

and Corporate Board Member

NEW YORK

Neil Sherburne

Regent, University of Minnesota

Secretary- Treasurer,

Minnesota AFL-CIO (Retired)

MINNESOTA

Leonard L. Silverstein

Attorney; Partner, Silverstein & Mullens

Chairman, Executive Committee,

National Symphony Orchestra Association

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Mae Sue Talley

Retired Business Executive,

Publisher, and Civic Leader

ARIZONA
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Message from the Chairman

On April 1, 1978, the President of the United States, with the approval of

Congress, created the International Communication Agency (USICA). At the same

time the U.S. Advisory Commission on International Communication, Cultural and

Educational Affairs was established with a mandate to serve as public trustee for the

new Agency. I By July, 1979, all seven commissioners had been appointed. The

following October the Congress changed the name of the Commission to the U.S.

Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy (P.L. 96-60).

The Commission is obligated to report to the President, the Congress, the

Secretary of State, and the Director of the Agency concerning USICA, the principal

government agency responsible for conducting public diplomacy. The Commission

is to assess the policies and programs of the Agency, evaluating the effectiveness

with which it carries out its mission. In addition, the Commission has been directed

to inform the public, both in the United States and abroad, about USICA and the

purposes for which it was created.

Appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, the

members of this bipartisan Commission have spent their first full year reviewing

America's public diplomacy efforts. Each of us has brought to the task a unique set

of perspectives and experiences, and the views set forth in this. our first Report,

have been carefully considered.

We have met almost monthly during the past year and have reviewed virtually

every aspect of USICA's mission, organization, and program. Members of the

Commission have traveled abroad to assess the Agency's field operations. * The

Commission has met regularly with the Director of the Agency and senior members

of his staff, as well as with officials in the Department of State, the White House

staff, and key members of both houses of Congress. In addition, the Commission

has received testimony and recommendations from a number of the organizations in

our country that receive funding from USICA and whose work is both supplementary and complementary to the public diplomacy mission of the United States Government.

The Commission has conducted its assessment from two perspectives - the

appropriate role of USICA in the conduct of America's foreign affairs and the wise

commitment of the taxpayer's dollar. For the purposes of our first Report, we have

consciously and selectively focused on those concerns which we believe are of

greatest importance to the public diplomacy of the United States during the 1980's .

• Sixteen countries have been visited on 15 separate trips. All but three were privately financed.

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The Commission is mindful of its obligation to appraise the effectiveness of

specific USICA programs and policies. But as we developed our own appreciation

of public diplomacy, we concluded that awareness of USICA' s mission and Increased tangible support for its efforts demand an immediate, separate priority.

Within the United States USICA is relatively unknown. We hope our initial

report will introduce the Agency to a wider domestic audience, and bring about

greater understanding of and support for its mission.

USICA, as this government's principal resource in public diplomacy, is not a

luxury item in the Federal budget. It is indispensable to our national security and

warrants far more than existing inadequate levels of support. Public diplomacy is as

important to the national interest as is military preparedness, and it ought to be

treated with the same degree of concern. We believe that public diplomacy programs

can decrease the probability of military involvement.

World events during the past year have had a profound effect on the way

Americans view the world and on the way the world views the people of the United

States. By using its international communication resources wisely, our country can

help to ensure that these views and opinions are accurate and that misperceptions are

corrected. It is to the achievement of this end that we submit this Report.

III
Resources

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Research and

Evaluation

Summary of Recommendations

Relationship of USICA

to other Foreign

Affairs Agencies

As part of this country's investment in national security,

the Congress and the President should increase substantially

the resources this nation commits to the conduct of public

diplomacy .

• The Commission recommends that USICA's budget be

increased by $200 million. *

• The Commission recommends that the President raise

USICA's personnel ceiling by 30 percent.

• The Commission recommends that Congress and the

President exempt public diplomacy activities from government-wide travel reductions.

USICA's Office of Research, with its focus on foreign

public opinion, is critically important to all of the Agency's

activities. It should be given independent organizational status, increased funds, and additional responsibility for evaluating program effectiveness.

• The Commission recommends that the Office of Research report directly to the Agency's Director.

• The Commission recommends that the Office of Research be granted an immediate increase of at least 100

percent of its current budget.

• The Commission recommends that the Office of Research assume responsibility for evaluating the effectiveness of Agency programs.

The President and the Congress have directed USICA to

"insure that our government adequately understands foreign opinion and culture for policy-making purposes." To

help fulfill this obligation, the Director of the Agency

should be assigned a permanent seat on the National Security Council.

• Commission member Mrs. Mae Sue Talley dissents from this recommendation

.pcnding further review of present expenditures and the magnitude of additional

resources recommended.

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Contents

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SECTION I

The Agency

The Commission is deeply concerned that USICA is relatively unknown, and that its

mission is not understood within the United States. Overseas, the Agency is a valued and

credible institution, but far too few Americans know what USICA does or why. Even the

Voice of America and the Fulbright program, both widely acclaimed, are rarely identified

as part of the Agency.

In Section I,

A. The Agency's tasks are outlined and examples are given of programs designed to

carry them out;

B. The organization of USICA is briefly explained;

C. An overview of the Agency's first two years is presented.

SECTION II

The Commission's Recommendations

The Commission debated several options concerning the focus of the first set of recommendations. A number of internal Agency issues were raised during the past year, many

of which warrant our attention and will be dealt with in later reports. We concluded,

however, that the level of support now granted the Agency was of primary importance. It

makes little sense to tackle internal Agency problems, advise on specific programs, or

assess individual activities when the resources needed for public diplomacy so greatly

exceed those available. Out recommendations, therefore, address the problem of basic

Agency needs. USICA has been forced to spread too far, with too little, for too long.

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In Section II,

A. The Commission's recommendations are presented;

B. Issues which the Commission feels warrant further consideration are raised.

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SECTION I

THE AGENCY

Public Diplomacy and the International Communication Agency

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American hostages in Iran and Soviet tanks in Afghanistan dramatize the many forces

that have fundamentally affected the way we as a nation view ourselves and the world.

The manner in which we deal with this kind of world is increasingly dependent on the

maturity, the patience, and the understanding we bring to it.

It is critically important to present the policies and diverse culture of the United States

to foreign peoples. It is equally important for Americans to acquire a better understanding

of the values, cultures, and aspirations of others. Both tasks are the responsibility of

USICA as legislated by the Congress.

The Commission's obligation to report on USICA - its programs, its policies, and the

effectiveness with which it carries out its responsibilities - was assigned with the implicit

assumption that the Agency was a known entity. This has proved to be an invalid

assumption. Excluding a handful of Agency supporters in both the executive and legislative branches of government, and excluding the private sector recipients of Agency

grants, USICA is virtually unknown in the U.S.

The following brief exposition of USICA's mandate and programs is therefore presented by the Commission as one small step in making the Agency's work better known.

A. USICA - The Task Public diplomacy is basically a continuous communications process. It seeks to inform, to make international understanding more probable, and to influence the worldwide

context in which U.S. foreign policy is conducted.

To these ends, the Agency sponsors and funds a wide

variety of communications activities. The Voice of America

(VOA), USICA's broadcasting element, transmits 820

hours of programming a week in 38 languages to an estimated 80 million listenersf The Agency's educational and

cultural exchange programs include the International Visitor

(IV) program, the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship program, and the well-known Fulbright exchange program for

students, professors, and senior scholars. Media products

developed and acquired by USICA include films, videotapes, magazines, exhibits, and a worldwide radioteletype

network called the Wireless File. In 205 posts throughout

the world, the Agency operates libraries, conducts seminars, teaches English, and facilitates the presentation of

programs in the visual and performing arts.

In 125 countries, USICA's principal representative is the

Public Affairs Officer (PAO). As part of the embassy's

country team, the PAO is responsible for designing and
1. USICA is to

Explain Official

U.S. Government

Policies

2

orchestrating the U.S. Government's public diplomacy programs. Aware of public opinion and sensitive to the culture

of the host country. this officer is obliged to identify issues

of bilateral concern and to engage foreign publics in a cooperative effort to increase international understanding.

Congress and the President have outlined four basic tasks

which comprise the mission of public diplomacy.

There are a variety of ways USICA explains official policies, and the choice made is determined by the subject as

well as by the level of awareness and interest on the part of

the audience.

Some recent examples:

eAt USICA' s request. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Moose responded to questions via telephone from

40 leading Kenyans who had just seen a videotape of

his pre-recorded remarks in Nairobi. A local editor

stated it was' 'one of the best things ever to happen to

journalism in Kenya." The Assistant Secretary's audience included the Foreign Minister.

eA member of Congress was invited by USICA' s Public

Affairs Officer in Germany to discuss the role of Congress in American foreign policy to a select audience

of journalists. scholars. and high-level government

officials in Bonn. The host noted that we "need more

sessions of this kind to fully comprehend the great

complexity of the American situation."

e The late Ambassador and former Congressman Allard

Lowenstein was programmed by USICA in seminars

and conferences throughout Europe. Asia. Africa. and

Latin America. A typical comment from a Berlin newspaper editor: "Only in America are such political

figures as Ambassador Lowenstein bred and only by

meeting and questioning men like him can thoughtful

Europeans grasp the practical idealism which dictates

so much of American policy."

In addition to these kinds of individual events, the Agency routinely provides press releases and copies of all major

U.S. Government statements, transmits the texts and background explanations of documents via radio teletype , and

broadcasts official foreign policy commentaries over the

Voice of America.
2. USICA is to Portray

American Society to

the People of Other

Countries as

Accurately and

Completely as

Possible

USICA sponsors visits to the United States each year of

about 2,000 foreign leaders in government, labor and business, science, education, and other fields. Overseas,

USICA designs exhibits, conducts seminars, operates

American libraries, supports private American cultural presentations, sponsors the teaching of English, and produces

and acquires films, videotapes, magazines, and other media

products. In American and Binational Centers, USICA

sponsors a variety of programs designed to encourage international communication and to develop understanding of

American society.

• One international visitor from Ghana returned home

and founded the Visitor Alliance modeled after the

League of Women Voters which she had discovered on

a short U.S. tour.

• Another visitor wrote from Togo: "In 30 days I saw

more than in all the rest of my life." He recommended

that the Minister of Education go too.

• A Japanese newspaper editorial explained: "These

(American) Centers are constantly trying to deepen

exchanges with local citizens ... The U.S. is smart

enough to send even those scholars who are critical of

U.S. policy .... "

• Public exposure to exhibits produced by USICA often

exceeds a half-million at non-traveling exhibitions and

can reach as many as a million and a half at multi-city

showings in the Soviet Union. The Nairobi Daily Nation editorialized that visitors to a recent science and

technology exhibit' 'will see how relevant and appropriate the U.S.-oriented technology is to the needs of a

fast-dev~loping Kenya." A Romanian visitor to the

"Artist at Work in America" exhibit noted: "This

exhibit is America. It shows all of the excitement and

creativity which I think of as being American."

-

• Nigeria and Ghana, two important West African countries adapting to civilian forms of government, are

now looking to the American system of government as

a model. USICA arranged for members and staffs of

their parliaments to meet with their Congressional

counterparts to study the American legislative system

in detail. Scholars and Congressional staff have undertaken extensive visits to both countries. One senior

specialist in the Congressional Research Service

3
3. USICA is to Ensure

That the President

and the U.S. Government Adequately

Understand Foreign

Public Opinion and

Foreign Cultures

4. USICA is to Assist

in the Development

of American Understanding of Other

Nations

4

recently conducted a full week of workshops on legislative procedures for the entire 140-mell1ber Parliament of Ghana.

On a regular basis, the Agency provides the Congress and

the Executive branch with:

( 1) analyses of foreign media reactions to world events

and to U.S. policies,

(2) research reports assessing foreign public opinion,

and

(3) comprehensive studies and evaluations of the public

diplomacy consequences of U.S. policies.

Overseas, USICA's officers are responsible for the coordination of all press and public affairs aspects of official

U.S. representation activities. This includes preparation for

official visits by the President, members of Congress, and

other government officials, as well as the responsibility to

meet the press demands such visits entail. It is the function

of the PAO to provide the embassy with assessments of

public opinion, including reactions to U.S. policies and

major events.

While both of USICA' s predecessor organizations partially fulfilled this function, the new Agency was specifically given what has come to be called the "second mandate," helping Americans to learn about other societies.

The Commission notes that USICA has been responsive to

this obligation, but feels that a more definitive program is

required. We will continue to monitor progress in this area.

Agency grants are awarded to private groups in the

United States to enhance American understanding and competence in world affairs. Among the recipients of these

grants are organizations such as the American Council of

Young Political Leaders, the YMCA, Partners of the

Americas, and Sister Cities International.

An important consequence of the Agency's many exchange programs is the exposure of Americans to different

cultures. For example, American families host USICAsponsored International Visitors, returning Fulbright scholars share their experiences with their colleagues, and exhibits from other countries are shown in American museums.
B. USICA - The organi- The International Communication Agency is an indepenzation dent agency of the United States Government. It was established April 1. 1978 by President Carter's Reorganization

Plan No.2 of 1977 as amended and approved by the Congress. The new Agency consolidated the activities of two

previously separate predecessor organizations: the United

States Information Agency and the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The Director and the Deputy Director are appointed by

the President. .subject to Senate approval, as are the four

principal Associate Directors of USICA:

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1. Associate Director for Broadcasting - The Voice of

America,

2. Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs,

3. Associate Director for Programs.

4. Associate Director for Management.

Cc Overvlew Prior to the reorganization, there was considerable concern that either the new Agency's academic programs

would become politicized, or that its information, media,

and policy functions would be blurred by undue emphasis

on education and cultural activities. The Agency's leadership has been sensitive to these fears. To the credit of all

involved, the Agency has done much to synthesize and use

in a balanced way the great variety of communications tools

at its disposal.

Concerns that the new Agency would not have sufficient

autonomy were raised during the reorganization by members of Congress and others interested in public diplomacy.

USICA now works closely with and takes foreign policy

guidance from the Department of State, but its budgetary,

personnel, and administrative independence appear to have

been maintained.

It is imperative that the Agency responsible for presenting the diversity of American opinion, American culture,

and American politics enjoy independence from the Department responsible for official foreign policy. The Commission believes that USICA has the degree of autonomy it

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needs to accomplish its mission and to protect the integrity

of its programs. The Commission is concerned lest the

Agency's independence be diluted, as would be the case if

USICA's statutorily-based career Foreign Service Information Officer corps were merged with the Foreign Service of

the Department of State. Indeed, the Agency's lack of a

separate and visible public identity is one of the Commission 's concerns.

USICA is now two years old, a short time in the life of

any ongoing institution. There are problems within the

Agency, many of them the inevitable result of an extensive

government reorganization - some of which we will

address in later reports. However, the Commission's recommendations which follow have been chosen deliberately

to ensure that this new Agency receive the support we feel is

minimally required. Without it, many of the internal deficiencies will remain. The Agency cannot continue to respond to increased demands with insufficient resources.

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INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION AGENCY

(U5ICA)

DIRECTOR

DEPUTY

(D)

PU~~~~RELWI~~~L (~~~) I I

EXECUTIVE

SECRETARIAT

(D/S)

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ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE OIRECTOR

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OFFICE OF I FOR FOR FOR SECURITY

EOUCATIONAL AND H! BOARD OF

FOR BROADCASTING PROGRAMS I EAST-WEST r- CUL TURAL AFFAIRS FOREIGN MANAGEMENT (VOA) I- (PGM) CENTER (ECA) SCHOLARSHIPS (MGT)

Deputy -1 OFFICE OF ., Deputy Oeputy Deputy EQUAL EMPLOY.

OPPORTUNITY

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DIRECTOR OF

DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF OF OF OF 1-1- COORDINATION OF CULTURAL 1-1- INTERNATIONAL AOMINISTRATIVE I- PERSONNEL PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH AND CENTERS AND VISITORS SERVICES SERVICES DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES

DIRECTOR OF OIRECTOR OF OIRECTOR OF

ENGINEERING TELEVISION DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF 1-1- PRESS AND

AND TECHNICAL AND FILM ACADEMIC 1-1- PRIVATE SECTOR COMPTROLLER SYSTEMS PUBLICATIONS

OPERATIONS SERVICE PROGRAMS PROGRAMS SERVICES TECHNOLOGY SERVICE

DIRECTOR OF COORDINATOR,

-

FOREIGN EXHIBITS PRESS SERVICE CENTERS

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DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF

DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF NORTH AFRICAN

AFRICAN EUROPEAN EAST ASIAN AMERICAN NEAR EASTERN

AFFAIRS AFFAIRS & PACIFIC REPUBLICS & SOUTH ASIAN

(AF) (EU) AFFAIRS AFFAIRS AFFAIRS (EA) (AR) (NEA)

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SECTION II

A. Recommendations

1. As an investment in national security, the Congress alld the President should substantially increase the resources this nation commits to the conduct of public diplomacy.

• The Commission recommends that USICA's budget be increased by $200 million.t

• The Commission recommends that the President raise USICA's personnel ceiling

by 30 percent. 4

• The Commission recommends that Congress exempt public diplomacy activities

from government-wide travel reductions.

Budget In 1981, the United States will spend $ I62 billion on

national defense. 5 The proposed FY-]98] budget for

USICA is $448 million 6 - approximately 0.3 percent of

what we devote to military spending.

The Commission strongly believes that it is in the national interest to view public diplomacy as an indispensable

element in America's national security.

The strength of our country derives as much from the

ideas we represent as it does from the military and economic

power we exercise in support of those ideas. Soviet dissidents, the mass exodus of Cubans, Cambodians, and Vietnamese to freedom in the U. S., the spread of the human

rights movement worldwide are recent manifestations of the

power of these ideas.

Current across-the-board military increases are justified

in terms of the nation's defense. They are not, however, an

exclusive guarantor of national security.

All of us are concerned - and rightly so - that we

not slip into military weakness. We are steadily modernizing our military posture. Yet cutting back our

other international programs contributes to another

kind of weakness, every bit as dangerous, It cuts back

our arsenal of influence. Our support for liberty in

the world - our defense of American and Western

interests - cannot be mounted with military weapons

alone. The battle for American influence in the world

requires more than rockets, certainly more than rhetoric. It requires the resources that make our diplomacy effective. Secretary of State Edmund Muskie , addressing the New York Council on Foreign Relations,

July 7,1980. .

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If you give us scholarships. that is far better than

giving us 100 tanks ... While the Soviet Union offers

hundreds of scholarships to Yemeni students and military officers. getting scholarships to the United States

has been like pulling teeth without anesthesia. A senior advisor to President Saleh of Yemen, quoted in

the New York Times. May 7, 1980.

USICA today is operating in real dollar terms with less

than one-half the money the same programs had in the mid1960' s. If it were operating at those levels today, the Agency's budget would approach one billion dollars. Instead, its

proposed budget for FY-1981 is $448 million.

Moreover, United States investment in public diplomacy

is low in comparison with that of both our allies and our

adversaries. A report issued by the General Accounting Office last year, The Public Diplomacy of Other Countries:

Implications for the United States. found that in absolute

terms the U.S. is outspent by both the Soviet Union and

France and is nearly matched by West Germany. France,

West Germany, the Soviet Union, Japan, and Britain all

spend a higher percentage of their national budget on public

diplomacy than does the United States.

Country

Cultural and Information Programs

as a Percentage of Annual Budget"

France

West Germany

USSR

Japan

Britain

United States?"

0.7%

0.6%

0.3%

0.21%

0.18%

0.1%

*Source: General Accounting Office, 1979

**Includes Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 7

USICA is rarely granted new funds to respond to international crises and opportunities, and all too often it is

forced to reprogram from existing resources. Because of

fiscal constraints, the Agency has been forced to cut vital

programs and forgo significant opportunities.

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Here are a few recent examples:

• The Voice of America does not have the funds to convert from the vacuum tube equipment of an earlier

generation to the more reliable and cost-effective solid-state systems of today .

• The highly successful exchange of persons program

has been reduced by almost 50 percent over the past

fifteen years.

• USICA was forced to divert funds from other important programs to finance long overdue increases ill the

Voice of America's Persian broadcasts to Iran.

• USICA has 32 principal posts in Africa; 18 are staffed

by only one American officer.

• The $100,000 cost of evacuating Agency personnel

from Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan was taken from

USICA's current budget, forcing cuts elsewhere. Unlike the State Department, USICA has no emergency

fund.

• America Illustrated, the United States Government

magazine that is sent to the USSR in exchange for

Soviet Life, has lost its impressive size; its editorial

content and staff are being reduced.

• The Voice of America is just now beginning to broadcast to Afghanistan in Dari; it does not broadcast to

Spain in Spanish, to Japan in Japanese ....

On March 3, 1980, then Secretary of State Cyrus Vance

told the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations: "Precisely

because the world has become a more dangerous place in

recent months, we will continue to work to defuse its dangers." Decreasing our military vulnerability is one way to

"defuse," but it is not the only way. As Ambassador Fernand Spaak noted on April 21, 1980, speaking for the Commission of the European Communities in the U. S.:

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If is the friendships and understanding that are built

between ordinary men and women that will ultimately

decide the nature of relations between nations and

continents ... we have to go further and deepen (our)

understanding beyond the official and diplomatic level. Our peoples themselves have to know one another

better ....

Public diplomacy is in the front line of this effort, and if

USICA is to perform effectively it must be given additional

resources. The current level of support is simply inadequate.

An-I8-year old student of politics from Dublin recently

wrote to VOA complaining,

that it is 100 times easier to tune to Moscow than to

the VOA . . . This should be a matter of national

security. The propaganda war waged by Radio Moscow is sowing the seeds of Marxist revolution and

anti-Americanism among the poor and oppressed ...

It is all the more effective because the voice of truth is

weak.

The $200 million increased funding we recommend

would merely permit the Agency to retain its current share

of 0.1 % of the total annual United States budget of FY-81,

now estimated at $696 billion. A prudent assessment of our

national security needs requires that we do no less.

Can the nation afford:

• weak VOA signals beamed to Central Asia, Central China, Eastern

Europe, and the Near East? $70 million

• not to initiate a modest USICA program in Zimbabwe, supporting the

emergence of a new democracy? $500,000

• not to support a major effort to address joint economic concerns

through cooperative research with

our European allies? $500,000

• not to produce a major exhibit for a

tour in China, responding to the

special needs of two nations trying

to close a thirty-year gap? $4 million

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.not to increase the number of

USICA officers overseas by 10% in

order to strengthen the impact of

public diplomacy? $10 million

• not to send Fulbright research

scholars to developing countries

with which we now have only limited contact and little exchange? $5 million

• not to convert 19 VOA broadcasting studios to solid-state equipment? $2 million

• not to convert from radioteletype to

modern word-processing equipment for worldwide transmission of

press items? $3.5 million

• not to send our officers overseas

with an adequate command of the

local language? $2.8 million

These are but a few examples." The Commission is not

now recommending new programs. It is simply stating that

what USICA is required to do demands resources which it

currently lacks.

At the Commission's request, some Agency elements

have outlined their requirements beyond the limits imposed

by OMB and the Director of the Agency. Their persuasive

and detailed justifications for increased budgets have clearly

identified the severity of USICA's fiscal constraints.

Personnel USICA's budget is not its only diminishing resource.

Also reduced is public diplomacy's most valuable asset -

the American officer overseas and the staff required to render professional support.

Agency officers serving througout the world provide the

most direct, substantive, and effective link between the

United States and the groups, organizations, institutions,

and leaders in the countries to which they are assigned. Yet

due to Federal hiring limitations and employment ceiling

reductions, USICA is losing several hundred more positions

this year.

13
Traveling & Shipping

14

The Commission finds this deplorable, not only because

of the impact on ongoing programs, but because it continues

a fifteen-year trend. In Western Europe alone the number of

American and foreign national employees has declined 81 %

since 1954. USICA's overall employment level has decreased by 30 % since 1964 .10 The cumulative impact of

these reductions makes prospective cuts impossible to

absorb.

Unresolved personnel problems exist in any large organization, in or out of government. This is no less true of

USICA. However, the Commission believes that these are,

by and large, difficulties apart from the question of sufficient staff. USICA does not have enough people around the

world to do well those tasks which it is enjoined by legislation to do.

The Commission recommends that the President raise

USICA's personnel ceiling by 30 %.

The Commission is also convinced that the quality of

USICA's language training must be improved to the point

where more officers not only speak but think in the language of the country to which they are assigned. Courses

should be designed specificiaUy for USICA's personnel.

Comprehension of the nuances and implications of words is

requisite to full participation in the world of ideas, opinions,

and perceptions of foreign peoples.l!

Pursuant to Public Law 96-86 (1979), the Office of Management and Budget has imposed across-the-board restrictions on government travel and shipping. This applies despite the special needs of the foreign affairs agencies, and

despite the existing overall inadequate budget available to

USICA.

As a result of these restrictions:

• There are now several countries where USICA' s officers are confined to the capital city.

• USICA' s book distribution program has been severely

curtailed.

• Agency engineers are unable to maintain adequately

USICA's overseas equipment.

• Agency journalists - press and radio - are prohibited from traveling to some of the events on which

they must file worldwide reports.
These are but examples of a depressingly long list. The

Commission recommends that the Congress and the Office

of Management and Budget exempt public diplomacy activities from these restrictions, and take the necessary measures to correct this setting of program policy by budgetary

default.

2. USICA's Office of Research, with its focus on foreign public opinion, is critically

important to all of the Agency's activities. It should be given independent organizational status, additional funds, and assigned the responsibility for evaluating program effectiveness.

• The Commission recommends that the Office of Research report directly to the

Agency's Director.

• The Commission recommends that the Office of Research be granted an immediate increase of at least 100% of its current budget.

• The Commission recommends that the Office of Research assume responsibility

for evaluating the effectiveness of Agency programs.

The function of research in USICA is to advise the Director concerning foreign public opinion, to assess foreign

attitudes toward specific policies and issues, and to evaluate

the reasons for them. The Office of Research must identify

what people think, and why, determining the basis on which

foreign publics have formed their opinions. It should estimate the reaction of foreign publics to policy options under

consideration by the Agency and the Administration. Research reports and analyses should become an integral part

of Congressional and Executive foreign policy deliberations.

In addition, the Commission believes that the Office of

Research should be responsible for assessing program effectiveness. Before the Agency sets policies governing the use

of its many communication and exchange programs, the

effectiveness of existing programs should be measured. The

Office of Research should assume this function, providing

substantive data to help management guide the allocation of

resources on an Agency-wide basis.

The Commission notes that USICA does support some

assessment programs: overseas inspections of Agency posts

are conducted periodically; major resource allocation decisions are made annually through the Zero Based Budget

(ZBB) process; and a new office has been formed to provide

Agency managers with access to computer-based records of

an estimated 20,000 separate items or services produced by

15
USICA each year. However, the Agency must establish an

independent evaluation staff within the Office of Research

to identify what works, where it works, and why.

At present the Office of Research is required to filter its

proposals and results through too many bureaucratic layers.

The validity of research and its utility require maximum

independence. In order to eliminate undue controls from

external sources, the Office of Research should report directly to the Agency's Director. 12

The research budget for USICA represents 0.6% of the

Agency's total allocation. The paucity of funds for contract

research studies (less than $700,000) has forced the Office

to limit its major efforts to only 14 countries worldwide.

Foreign public opinion trends are not routinely available,

and important surveys are not undertaken because of budget

restrictions. In addition, social scientists in USICA are unable to travel within the U.S. with sufficient frequency to

remain in touch with other scholars engaged in relevant

research, and too often they are excluded from participating

in international seminars because of travel cuts.

The Office of Research should be granted an immediate

increase of at least 100% of its current budget. There should

be far more studies initiated by USICA, such as the one

recently headlined in The Washington Post:

STUDY SEES DANGER IN SOVIETS' INABILITY TO UNDERSTAND U.S.

Soviet inability to comprehend the workings of the American system is currently producing a "dangerous" perception gap between the two nations. according to an unusual

U.S. government research study.

At a time of exceptional tension between Moscow and

Washington. the study found. "The situation is dangerous

precisely because Soviet experts themselves tend to believe

that they in fact understand American society " ...

These findings emerge from a unique research project sponsored by the U.S. International Communication Agency.

Murrey Marder. Washington Post, July 11, 1980

The methodology was unique, the findings were surprising, and deliberations on the implications for U.S. foreign

policy are now going on at the highest levels of government. This kind of effort should be routine for USICA,

providing crucial insights and perspectives all too often absent in the government's decision-making process.

16
Many Agency officers are not sufficiently aware of research as an indispensable policy and program guide. There

are too many instances in which research is not utilized

because of ignorance of social science research capabilities.

Junior officers should be rotated through the Research Office on a regular basis, thereby assuring a worldwide cadre

of research-sensitive officers in the years to come.

3. The Commission recommends that the Director of USICA be assigned a permanent

seat on the National Security Council.

USICA is required to "insure that our government adequately understands foreign opinion and culture for policymaking purposes." 13 To do so, the Agency must become a

full participant rather than just an occasionally-consulted

observer in the foreign policy decision-making process.

USICA's professionals communicate beyond the sphere

of traditional diplomacy. In the countries to which they are

assigned Agency officers meet daily with students and educators, journalists and artisans, government officials and

political leaders in and out of power. The Agency assesses

foreign public opinions, public attitudes, trends, and developments. Overseas, USICA's expertise is acknowledged

and used. Most U.S. ambassadors are aware of the unique

contributions the Agency makes to the development of

strong bilateral ties between the U.S. and other nations.

In Washington, this is all too frequently not the case.

Increasingly, U.S. foreign policy decisions must reflect a

greater sensitivity to foreign cultures, to foreign public

opinions, perceptions, and priorities. USICA has this sensitivity which should be considered in deliberations at the

highest level. Congress and the President have jointly determined that USICA's Director shall serve as "the principal

advisor to the President, the National Security Council and

the Secretary of State." 13

Only as a member of the National Security Council can

the Director fulfill this obligation regularly and effectively.

17
B. Additional Observations

The Commission's most urgent concern remains the inadequate resources available to

USICA. However, the following issues warrant mention in this Report as important areas

to which further attention must be directed.

1. UNESCO

Freedom of the press, one of democracy's fundamental

values, finds expression internationally in the final act of

the Helsinki accords (Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe), in the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in UNESCO General Conference statements. The exercise of this freedom in today's world is

increasingly dependent on technological and professional

capability.

Industrialized nations have a superior capacity to collect

and distribute information, and this superiority has been

challenged by many developing countries as inhibiting their

ability to tell their stories, in their words, from their perspectives, both internally and externally. '

The Commission believes it is in the national interest, as

well as in the interest of other countries, for the United

States to assist in fashioning a free and equitable flow of

information worldwide. USICA's role in past U.S. commitments to address the current imbalances has yet to be adequately defined, and the Commission notes that while there

has been some progress, it is not nearly enough.

2. Domestic One of USICA's predecessors _ the U.S. Information

Dissemination Agency - was legislatively prohibited from making any of

its products designed for overseas use available within the

United States.14 When USICA was created, this prohibition was inherited. At the time of its formation, however,

USICA was given responsibility for enhancing the ability of

Americans to understand other cultures. IS Pending further

study, the Commission does not now recommend the removal of the old prohibition, but it does suggest that the

issue be reexamined by Congress and the Agency. There is

a need to assess the products USICA creates, and to harmonize what may be an archaic rule with the public's right of

access to government data.

3. USICA's Audience The Agency's policy toward international audiences is

necessarily mixed. The Voice of America reaches a mass

audience, as do major exhibits and press placement efforts

in foreign countries. However, many other Agency

18
"1.

•

endeavors are focused on carefully chosen leaders and

opinion-makers in each country. The Commission suggests

that budget restrictions and personnel limitations play an

inordinately decisive role in determining the Agency's

audience policy. Both USICA and the Congress are urged to

explore the necessity of reaching a greater number of people

worldwide and to allocate funds accordingly.

4. Budget Autonomy The relationship between USICA and the State

Department is intended to permit maximum independence

for the Agency, while avoiding unnecessary duplication of

effort or expenditure overseas. A recent letter from the

retiring OMB official responsible for all foreign affairs and

defense agency budgets recommended serious interference

with USICA's fiscal independence. The Commission is

reluctant to see budgetary authority affecting USICA

delegated to the Secretary of State. This would likely, in the

Commission's view, unnecessarily compromise the

autonomy USICA must have to fulfill its mission. The

intent of Congress was clear: USICA is to receive official

U.S. policy guidance from the Secretary of State, but

USICA constitutes an independent agency of the United

States Government - responsible to the President.

5. Personnel Alluded to in the recommendations is the Commission's

concern about the personnel situation in USICA, apart from

the fact that there are simply not enough people. The Commission is not, at this time, prepared to identify discrete

problems and to pose appropriate suggestions for their solution.

However, we do want to register our awareness of the

fact that morale among some Agency employees is low, and

that, in our opinion, the reorganization of 2-112 years ago

can no longer be cited as cause. There are administrative

problems internally.

We believe this subject to be of such fundamental importance that further study is required.

* * * * *

This report contains the Commission's evaluation of the need for USICA. As taxpayers, citizens, and informed advisors, we present our unanimous conviction that USICA is

an unknown but indispensable partner in the national security effort, one that we, as a

nation, can no longer afford to ignore.

19
NOTES

1. Reorganization Plan No.2 00977.

2. This is merely an estimate of VOA's audience. Prior to the opening of China, some 75 million people

were thought to tune in VOA's programs. The "80 million listeners" may be, in fact, many more.

3. The Commission's intention is to identify the order of magnitude of funds required. The $200 million

would merely permit the Agency to fulfill current tasks with adequate resources.

4. The Commission wishes to provide the Agency with the personnel required to respond to present

needs, both overseas and in Washington. If VOA needs six additional language specialists, the Agency

should no longer be required to transfer positions from another important area. When a new post is

opened abroad, another post should not have to reduce its efforts to accommodate.

5. The Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 1981 (p.552).

6. The Agency's FY-81 budget request, as amended, House Doc. 96-294.

7. Radio Free Europe (RFE) and Radio Liberty (RL) are totally separate from USICA, and do not serve the

same function as the Voice of America. Governed by the independent Board for International Broadcasting (BIB), RFE and RL beam in several local languages to Eastern Europe only, serving not as an

official voice of America, but as surrogate mass media in countries where there is no free press.

8. These examples have been provided to the Commission by Agency personnel, and are documented in

transcribed briefings or official memoranda.

9. These figures represent Agency assessments of costs arrived at through normal fiscal procedures.

10. In 1964, the total employment figure for USICA's predecessors - the United States Information

Agency (12,183) and the State Department's Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs (405) - was

12,588. The current ceiling for USICA is 8,671.

11. A recent GAO report further details this need for improved language training: More Competence in

Foreign Languages Needed by Federal Personnel Working Overseas, April 15, 1980 (ID-80-3l).

12. The General Counsel reports directly to the Director as does the Office of Congressional and Public

Liaison. See chart on p. 15.

13. Memo from President Carter to the Director of USICA, March 13, 1978, and Executive Order 12048,

March 27, 1978.

14. P.L. 80-402, sec. 501 (Title 22, USC, sec. 1461). U.S. Information and Educational Exchange Act of

1948, as amended.

15. Memo from President Carter to the Director of USICA, March 13, 1978.

16. Memo of June 13, 1980, to U.S. representatives of foreign affairs, defense, and national security

elements from Edward Jayne II.

21
p

For additional information, please write:

UNITED STATES ADVISORY COMMISSION

ON PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20547

(202) 724-9243 '" u.s. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 19810- 334-548