Country Report
For the United States of America, ‚public diplomacy‘ primarily serves to support foreign policy objectives and to safeguard national interests and security. To this end, the United States influence the public abroad with its media and outreach strategies. The promotion of culture and education plays a rather subordinate role. External cultural policy (ECP) is characterised by a fragmented, heterogeneous structure of largely independent actors and reflects the national understanding of culture, which is supposed to be completely independent of the state. Perhaps for this very reason, and thanks to its strong economic performance, the U.S. cultural exports have thrived. No other country can match its global influence. The success of American media and culture has even led to the government trying to shape the content of cultural products to better suit American interests. With more than one million foreign students for the fourth year in a row, the US is a leading study destination.
