Access to science and technology mattered in international relations. Both the Soviet Union and the United States leveraged science, technology, and arms in return for economic and political influence in newly independent nations. Additionally, partnerships with UN agencies allowed Americans to frame US actions and programs as arising from the international community, rather than cold war diplomacy. Leaders of developing states desired agricultural, industrial, and public health sciences; in response, those fields were prominent components of aid packages to anti-communist allies. Technical assistance programs generated positive public relations at home and abroad, often receiving coverage far beyond their funding and impact. Overseas, multiple federal agencies, private foundations, universities, and international organizations contributed to American assistance, creating a web of global relationships. Whether as part of Point Four, the Alliance for Progress, or the Green Revolution, the sciences were integral to US foreign policy in the developing world. Undertakings ranged from civilian atomic power and large engineering and agricultural projects to basic sanitation and birth control. Yet military requirements and subsidies vastly overshadowed the scientific and technical component of aid packages, while insistence on private investment undermined local support.