THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2025 29 world where our friends and allies have achieved economic parity. Foreign Affairs Challenges. The next President will have to do more with less. As we enter an era of shifting alliance relationships and competition for global resources the President must have a Foreign Service ready to capitalize through adroit diplomacy on America’s political, economic and military strength. American leadership is needed to engage European and Japanese economic cooperation toward a healthier global economy. Whereas in the past the United States has been able to impose its will or allocate vast resources, in the future we will have to rely more on the tools of diplomacy—international negotiations, persuasion and coalition building. What the Foreign Service offers. The Foreign Service offers the next President its expertise in negotiations and analysis of international affairs. It has the linguistic, interpersonal and intercultural skills needed to defend American interests against foreign competition. It provides a high degree of professional competence in such important areas as arms control, East-West relations, Middle East conflicts, Japanese economic growth, security and economic relationships with Europe, democracy and economic development in Third World countries, counterterrorism, narcotics, and environmental and scientific concerns. Problems of the Foreign Service. In the eight years since the passage of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, the Department of State has embarked on a misguided program to shrink the Foreign Service at its mid-career and senior levels, forcing the involuntary retirement of hundreds of competent, experienced Foreign Service officers. These skilled professionals have not been replaced, their expertise has been lost to national service, and key positions in our embassies abroad and in Washington are left vacant for extended periods. The process must stop, and the Foreign Service must be rebuilt. The problem is made worse by budget cuts. Regardless of how the next administration deals with the budget crisis, it should not continue the current starvation diet on which American diplomacy now barely lives. There must be a better way. No matter how severe the budget situation becomes, the next administration must ensure that the Department of State and the Foreign Service are adequately funded to do their job. Political Appointees. The American Foreign Service Association endorses the tradition of partnership between political leadership and the career service. AFSA only asks that political appointees also understand this tradition. AFSA’s concern is that the numbers of political appointees continue to increase while the size of the Service decreases. The damage to the career service is apparent. The issue goes beyond who gets which ambassadorial post. Political appointees are placed at all grade levels, either for reasons of patronage or ideology. A Loyal Service. The Foreign Service is not partisan. It is loyal to the political leadership and committed to providing non-partisan, unbiased support. The Foreign Service offers the next President the skill and experience in foreign affairs he needs to succeed. Above all, the Foreign Service is composed of professionals who take pride in their service to the country. What is Needed. • AFSA recommends that the President consider a strong Foreign Service an important element of national security—the first line of defense in peacetime. • AFSA urges the President to take the lead in persuading Congress to provide adequate funding for the Foreign Service. • AFSA recommends a quality control process for ambassadorial appointments and the top positions in the Department, for both political and career appointees, and a stop to the placement of political appointees at lower levels. • AFSA proposes that the President adopt these steps to make the Foreign Service an example in restoring faith in public service as an attractive and prestigious vocation for the best our country has to offer. —This message was prepared by the AFSA Governing Board and delivered to each of the Presidential candidates in September. October 1988 FSJ.
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