> explaining what the thing can do for them should be an obvious necessity.

Obvious?? You are taking too much of American way of life and values for granted. The Party can just order something progressive and the people will jump with enthusiasm. You just need to train them that not jumping with enthusiasm when the Party orders something is dangerous for their career or, more effectively - for their life.

At the same 1920 time on our side of the ocean, the State Plan of Electrification of Russia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GOELRO.

Communism is Soviet power plus the electrification of the whole country.

— Vladimir Lenin

Works like a charm. The only drawback of this approach is that you’ll get not the American way of life but the Soviet way life and the progressive will mean not what is really progressive, but what the Party orders. But well, is it that important?