I mean: Which laws govern US agencies' domestic propaganda activities?
By now I've read about the Foreign Agents Registration Act (1938) that insures that the American public and its law makers know the source of information (propaganda) intended to sway public opinion. I've also read about the Smith-Mundt Act (1948) and its 1972 amendment, which places certain restrictions on only the USIA from engaging in domestic propaganda. So far I've not been able to find any law that prohibits for example the CIA to engage in domestic propaganda activities. (The National Security Act of 1947 simply bans the CIA from operating within the US, so that would include spreading propaganda.)
Any information on laws that ban CIA domestic propaganda is welcome.
Do you know what has become of Bill Clinton's "International Public Information" directive NSC-68? (compare http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a37a0590c20fd.htm)
Thanks and best regards
USIA No more
FYI in 1999 USIA ceased to exist. Its activities were taken up by the State Dept. in then newly created Department of Public Diplomacy. I don't know if the Smith-Mundt Act covers its activities as well or if a new law was created to restrict domestic propaganda from the Dept. of Public Diplomacy.
For more information on the consolodation see: 'Consolodation of USIA into the State Department : an assesment after one year'. US Advisory Commission on Public Dipomacy. October 2000.