U.S. Public Diplomacy: Background & Issues

Public diplomacy is defined in different ways, but broadly it is a term used to describe a government’s efforts to conduct foreign policy and promote national interests through direct outreach and communication with the population of a foreign country. The U.S. has long sought to influence the peoples of foreign countries through public diplomacy. After the 9/11 terror attacks, there was a new interest in promoting effective public diplomacy, as a struggle against extremist ideologies became crucial to the overall fight against terrorism. In recent years, many observers have called for increased resources for and improvement of U.S. public diplomacy efforts. This book examines the background and current issues of U.S. public diplomacy.