Dan Spokojny
Foreign policy is unique among fields of public policy in that there are no educational requirements necessary to become a leader in the field. There is no body of tradecraft, professional skills, or standard training regimens to prepare the next generation of leaders.
The State Department should aspire to be the most skilled policymaking institution on the planet, one obsessed with policy success. To achieve this standard, it must develop a curriculum that can clearly distinguish the expert from the amateur. Anything short of that exposes US foreign policy to ineffectiveness and marginalizes the role of diplomacy in the national security apparatus.
This article explores the idea of a core curriculum for the State Department.
As always, I would love to hear from you about concepts, articles, and books you think should be required reading for all diplomats. I’ll post some of your ideas next week.
The Insufficient Status Quo
The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) bills itself as “the U.S. government’s premier foreign affairs training provider.” It is an impressive institution in many ways, offering over 800 courses across a wide array of competencies.
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