U.S. Public Diplomacy: Key Issues for Congressional Oversight

Government Accountability Office | 2009-09-11

This report from the Government Accountability Office examines key issues for Congress pertaining to U.S. public diplomacy. An excerpt from the report's preface:

"Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the U.S. government has spent at least $10 billion on communication efforts designed to advance the strategic interests of the United States. However, foreign public opinion polling data shows that negative views towards the United States persist despite the collective efforts to counteract them by the State Department (State), Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Department of Defense (DOD), and other U.S. government agencies. Based on the significant role U.S. strategic communication and public diplomacy efforts can play in promoting U.S. national security objectives, such as countering ideological support for violent extremism, we highlighted these efforts as an urgent issue for the new administration and Congress. To assist Congress with its oversight agenda, we have enclosed a series of issue papers that discuss long-standing and emerging public diplomacy challenges identified by GAO and others."

Referenced in the WPR column "Getting Strategic Communication Out of the Cave."