The Foreign Service Journal, April 2005

those agencies charged with international economic responsibilities. There is no longer a line between the domestic and global economies, yet organizational struc- tures are still stovepiped as if there were. Reorganization proposals need to produce both a strong central mission statement and a mechanism to insure effective imple- mentation in a decentralized operating environment. The key, though, is to begin this process by focusing on the vision and not the boxes. As Kopp observes, “Because we are the hinge of world trade and finance, we are listened to when we talk about rule of law, corruption, the free flow of information, the importance of markets, and the relationship of individual freedom to responsibil- ity, risk and growth. We can preach what we practice because our practice works for us, and others want to know if it will work for them. We can only lead because others want to follow in our footsteps.” Now that is a vision, one that connects a range of interests — comprehensive trade and investment promo- tion, sustained competitiveness and economic develop- ment —within one framework. As a practitioner of com- mercial diplomacy for over 20 years, I have seen this comprehensive definition at work only at the level of the country team and only in a very few posts, and even that was due solely to ambassadorial leadership and vision. It is even more difficult to design and sustain such a com- mitment back in Washington, where vision is often cloud- ed by turf and ego. It also paints a creative new approach for advancing an agenda for deeper globalization in a domestic environment understandably concerned about consequences for U.S. competitiveness and jobs. As for the content of this new approach, a review of the policies and programs of competitor nations, particu- larly the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, will not only reveal where defensive measures are needed but will also highlight best practices and the priorities of com- petitor countries who also share our view of the primacy of the private sector and market economy. In the ever- expanding and deepening globalization process, we will need to develop a more sophisticated sense of our nation- C O V E R S T O R Y A P R I L 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 29 T HE R EMINGTON