INSIDE THE WORLD OF MODERN DIPLOMACY
By HELI TIIRMAA-KLAAR
A State Department Internship Showed Why Diplomacy Isn’t for Me
The transient diplomatic lifestyle and exhausting bureaucracy outweighed the prestige of a Foreign Service career.
By CLIFF DJAJAPRANATA
In Rare Move, Black Career Diplomat Is Named Assistant Secretary of State
A two-time ambassador, Brian Nichols belongs to a tiny minority of Foreign Service officers to make it to the top.
By NICHOLAS KRALEV
U.S. Public Diplomacy’s Secret Weapons Are Too Few
American Spaces abroad counter malign foreign influence and promote democracy and human rights. But they are grossly underfunded.
By GORDON DUGUID
For Americans in Trouble Abroad, a Consular Officer May Be the Only Hope
Helping victims of abuse, rape and abduction is arduous, exhausting and the most rewarding work.
By MATTHEW KEENE
Curating Diplomacy: Museum Tells of U.S. Global Engagement
From Benjamin Franklin to Iran hostages to the Dayton Accords, the collection aims to bring diplomats’ work to life.
By ROBIN HOLZHAUER
All in the Family: 70 Years in the Foreign Service
My father became a U.S. diplomat in 1952. His three children followed in his footsteps. One is the current ambassador to Libya.
By PATRICIA D. NORLAND
The State Department’s Million-Dollar Mistake
The money was spent on a second residence for a Trump ambassador. Under Biden, that decision was revoked.
By NICHOLAS KRALEV
and ROBIN HOLZHAUER
Confessions of an Ex-U.S. Diplomat and Expat in Europe
I struggled to explain how American democracy deteriorated so quickly. There is a long road ahead in restoring our global leadership.
By STEVE KASHKETT
The Unconventional Diplomatic Career of Victoria Nuland
After a four-year absence, she is about to return to the State Department as its highest-ranking career official.
By NICHOLAS KRALEV
Amid Chaos, Diplomats Aide Strange Power Transition
U.S. embassies, usually bustling before a new administration, struggled to deal with the election aftermath.
By ROBIN HOLZHAUER
and SOFIA OLMSTEAD
Why Lawyers Are Often a Diplomat’s Best Friends
The State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser, which guides both institutional and individual decisions, isn’t immune to political pressure.
By ROBERT DOWNES
How Political Ambassadors Waste Taxpayer Dollars
Once presidential appointees leave government, the U.S. system provides for no accountability.
By NICHOLAS KRALEV
and ROBIN HOLZHAUER
WIDA Instructor William Burns Named CIA Director
The first diplomat to lead the agency, his tenure is an opportunity to improve the strained relationship between diplomacy and intelligence.
By NICHOLAS KRALEV
The ABCs of Marketing That Can Help Public Diplomacy
As U.S. diplomats try to explain the storming of Capitol Hill, they will face questions about American democracy. One-size-fits-all answers won’t work.
By ROBIN HOLZHAUER
The Circuitous Route to Becoming an Ambassador
Adventure, service and international cooperation drew me to the Foreign Service. Don’t lose your own ideals on the way to the top.
By TOM ARMBRUSTER
Why Immigrants’ Children Are a Diplomacy Asset
As an Asian-American intern at the State Department, I questioned if there was a place for me in the U.S. diplomatic service.
By CHLOE CHANG
‘Abused’ by Trump, Diplomats Seek ‘Depoliticizing’ and ‘Care’ From Biden
Foreign Service officers have documented numerous legal and ethics violations by Trump appointees.
By NICHOLAS KRALEV
An Outsider’s Peek Inside the Foreign Service’s Inner Workings
How serving as a public member of employee promotion panels turned my view of foreign policy upside down.
By MICHAEL H. CRESWELL
The Notorious LTG: Next U.N. Envoy Was Chief Foreign Service Recruiter
“We don’t recruit people for jobs; we recruit them for careers and a way of life,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.
By NICHOLAS KRALEV
How to Prepare for Life After a Career in Diplomacy
We diplomats often identify with our job, and when we leave, we find ourselves confronting an identity crisis — or even loss of identity.
By CHARLES RAY