American Liberals and the Italian 'Communist Question' in the 1970s

Abstract

This essay analyzes the attitude of American experts and policymakers towards the Italian Communist Party during the 1970s. As the PCI promoted a moderate line at both domestic and international level, members of American think tanks and academia started looking at it as a legitimate actor of Italian and European politics. Such a shift from traditional Cold War balances could turn into actual policy under the Carter administration, whose foreign policy was inspired by a logic of interdependence and trilateralism. By taking into account often overlooked actors, this essay outlines the origins of such potential shift and its failed realization.