A Study Of The Reorganization Of The United States Information Agency Under The Administration Of Jimmy Carter

The United States Information Agency was established in 1953.The Eisenhower Administration announced the reorganization of the United States in order to coordinate the United States' external publicity activities.The official establishment of the USIA made it one of the main executive agencies of the U.S.public diplomacy activities.Since then,U.S.public diplomacy activities was executed by the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs of the State Department and the United States Information Agency.The US News Agency is responsible for information activities in the United States,and the Bureau of Education and Culture is responsible for the education and cultural exchange activities of the United States abroad.The structure has been operating steadily until the 1970 s.However,various factors in the 1970 s caused the implementation of US public diplomacy to be difficult to maintain the interests of the United States overseas,so they had to restart adjustments.One factor that affects the reorganization of the US News Agency is the change in the international environment.On the one hand,accompanied by the relative decline in U.S.strength and the Soviet Union's aggressive international situation,the U.S.has to seek strategies other than military strength to gain strategic advantages over the Soviet Union;at the same time,the failure of the Vietnam War has led the U.S.regime being doubted by its people,while the image of foreign countries also suffer damage.What's more,with the strengthening of Japan and Europe,the relationship between U.S.and their alliances have also been increasingly tested.In addition,the third scientific and technological revolution accelerated the dissemination of information,enhanced international exchanges,and exacerbated the situation in the United States.Therefore,it is necessary for the United States to adjust its propaganda activities so as to gain the initiative in the Cold War and consolidate its international status.Another factor affecting the reorganization of the U.S.Information Agency is the U.S.Information Agency's own issues,including the management of the Information Agency,funding issues,the overlapping of other agencies in the country and the activities of the USIA,and the lack of coordination between the State Department and the Information Agency in public diplomacy.All these factors led to the reorganization of the USIA in the 1970 s inevitably.The reorganization of the U.S.News Agency focused on the report submitted by the Stanton Group.The report advocated the transfer of some of the functions of the USIA to the Policy and Information Office of State;transferring the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs of State to the United States Information Agency to form a new organization;at the same time,the Voice of America,originally owned by the US News Agency,became an independent agency.In response to the report,the GAO,U.S.Secretary of State Vance,Director of USIA Reinhardt,and the House International Relations Committee expressed their opinions on the Stanton report's opposition and restructuring.President Carter rejected the contents of the Stanton report after referring to the opinions of the parties and renewed the No.2 Reorganization Act in October 1977,announcing the merger of the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs with the USIA.USIA renamed the International Communication Agency,and maintained its independence.The Voice of America is still affiliated with the U.S.News Agency,and it stipulates the activities of the U.S.Information Agency and personnel changes.In April 1978,the bill was passed and the reorganization of the US News Agency was basically completed.After this reorganization,the USIA assumed public U.S.diplomatic activities independently,including increasing the number of VOA overseas equipment,increasing the length of broadcasting and language types,conducting public opinion surveys abroad,and launching new educational and cultural exchange activities,such as The Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program.All these made outstanding contributions to public diplomacy to the United States.Overall,the reorganization of the USIA during the Carter Administration laid the foundation for the development of U.S.public diplomacy.The public diplomacy became an independent area of U.S.diplomacy after the reorganization.Since then U.S.public diplomacy activities have been development on the basis of this move.In addition,President Carter proposed that the "two-way mission" of the United States Information Agency,despite being not implemented in that era,it has become a focus of public diplomacy today.This is undoubtedly of epoch-making significance.