US citizens are unlikely to access US public diplomacy outreach materials due to which congressional act?

The Smith-Mundt Act, passed in 1948, originally prohibited domestic dissemination of materials produced by the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) for foreign audiences. This means that materials created for the purpose of public diplomacy were not intended for U.S. citizens and, as a result, American citizens are less likely to access them. The intention behind this legislation was to ensure that the outreach efforts of the U.S. government focus on influencing foreign populations without directly influencing domestic opinion.

This act has led to a practical implication where even when U.S. public diplomacy materials could be beneficial to American citizens, they are not made easily available for domestic consumption. Understanding the historical context of public diplomacy and government communication helps clarify why U.S. citizens might find it challenging to access these resources compared to foreign audiences, highlighting the restrictive nature of the Smith-Mundt Act regarding domestic use of such content.