Empire of ideas : the origins of public diplomacy and the transformation of U.S. foreign policy / Justin Hart.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hart, Justin, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Postcolonialism--History--20th century.

Postcolonialism.

Overseas information libraries--History--20th century.

Overseas information libraries.

Public relations and politics--United States--History--20th century.

Public relations and politics.

Educational exchanges--United States--History--20th century.

Educational exchanges.

Propaganda, American--History--20th century.

Propaganda, American.

United States--Foreign public opinion.

United States.

United States--Relations.

United States--Foreign relations--1945-1953.

United States--Foreign relations--1933-1945.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xii, 278 pages)

Place of Publication:

New York ; Oxford : Oxford University Press, [2013]

Summary:

'Empire of Ideas' examines the origins of the US government's programs in public diplomacy and how the nation's image in the world became an essential component of US foreign policy.

Empire of Ideas examines the origins of the U. S. government's programs in public diplomacy and the way that those initiatives transformed the foreign policy process. Spanning the period from 1936 to 1953, the book explores how, when, and why U. S. policymakers embraced various techniques of public diplomacy, such as propaganda, educational exchanges, cultural exhibits, overseas libraries, and domestic public relations. By treating public diplomacy as part of the project for building the sort of post-colonial empire that Henry Luce and others envisioned when they spoke of an "American Century," Hart also explains how the nation's image in the world became an essential component of U. S. foreign policy. Based upon exhaustive research in official government records and the private papers of top officials in the Roosevelt and Truman administrations, including newly declassified material, Empire of Ideas lends a historical perspective to issues of tremendous contemporary relevance. At a time when U. S. officials struggle more than ever to project a positive image of America abroad, Hart's study describes the challenges faced by a previous generation of policymakers and details their successes and failures in confronting similar issues.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-19-025448-3

0-19-977801-9