Public Diplomacy Needs Qualified Professionals, by Joe B. Johnson
Public diplomacy depends on the professionalism and skill of its workforce in Washington and abroad. That’s why the Public Diplomacy Council of America recognizes excellent performance and offers mentoring and training to practitioners. And that’s why a new bill introduced in the Senate merits our support.
Last week U.S. Senator Tim Kaine announced the State Department Integrity and Transparency Act, designed to “strengthen the State Department workforce and ensure senior State Department leaders are selected based on merit—not money or politics.” Cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), who serve alongside Kaine on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the bill would:
- “Require that no fewer than 75% of the Department’s assistant secretaries come from the Department’s Senior Foreign Service or Senior Executive Service. This would bring the Department closer in line with the number of career professional appointees in the senior ranks at the Department of Defense and Central Intelligence Agency.
- “Extend the existing requirement that the Department submit a report to Congress on the qualifications of ambassadorial nominees to nominees for assistant secretary positions.
- “Strengthen existing requirement that political campaigns not be a factor in the appointment of a chief of mission and require a presidential certification of compliance that competence, rather than contributions to political campaigns, is the primary qualification for the appointment of an individual as a chief of mission.”
He continued, “As China and Russia expand their global footprints and professionalize their diplomatic corps, this bill would help ensure our career diplomats and political appointees remain highly skilled and empowered to confront the growing number of complex challenges around the globe.”
Not a Partisan Issue
The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) quickly endorsed the bill. The organization tracks political vs. career ambassadors and reports that 62 percent of Biden’s ambassadors are career, while 38 percent are not. Trump’s breakdown was 56 percent career, 44 percent political.
Susan R. Johnson, president of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, favors limiting political ambassadorships to no more than 15 percent of U.S. missions. “I regret that these things need to be legislated,” she said, “but it seems that’s where we are.”
Both Kaine and the president of AFSA, Thomas Yazgerdi, concede there is a place for political ambassadors. However, it’s easy to find examples of both Republican and Democrat appointees who knew nothing of their country of assignment, or who made little effort to do their job. That’s what Kaine aims to fix.
The Senator is not new to this issue. He introduced a bill called the Ambassador Oversight and Transparency Act to boost oversight and transparency of ambassador nominations, and parts of it were incorporated into the 2022 State Department reauthorization bill and were signed into law.
Kaine also worked with colleagues including Van Hollen on the Saving the Civil Service Act to protect the merit-based federal workforce system. The Biden Administration recently issued a new rule—similar to the Saving the Civil Service Act—that would protect career civil servants from politically-motivated firings. That’s important for the many Civil Service personnel who support public diplomacy.
Why Should You Care?
It's easy to see why a former diplomat like me is in favor. But why is this important beyond the Beltway?
AFSA says it best: “Diplomacy is our first line of defense.” And protecting national interests benefits everyone.
Anyone who has suffered mishap outside the United States knows the value of an American embassy or consulate. Professionals who understand U.S. and local law and have relationships that matter to tourists, business people, journalists – indeed, to Americans from every sector of our society.
Public diplomacy offices are a critical part of our overseas representation, working across the entire embassy but taking the lead in public information and educational work. This work requires broad preparation in diplomacy and consular affairs plus specific skills in media relations, educational exchanges policy and programs, and public opinion analysis.
Proposals to reform government personnel administration have been rife as long as anyone can remember, and the system needs reform and modernization. But whether your issue is streamlining, downsizing or forcing compliance with administration policy, it’s hard to argue against insisting on merit and qualifications for entry into government service. Or to deny officials’ duty to follow ethical standards and serve citizens of all stripes, not a party or an individual.
I hope the lessons and stories told during this Centennial of the U.S. Foreign Service will inspire support for this bill.