10 SEPTEMBER 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Those who wish to become government officials in such an administration have to answer a Heritage questionnaire about their views on fetal rights, union membership, selecting immigrants by country of origin, and racism. While a person can also upload a résumé, there are no questions about education or experience. It is, in essence, a loyalty test to conservatism as Heritage defines it. There is a chapter on each cabinet agency, and the one on the State Department lays out a vision of how to remake State into a “lean and functional diplomatic machine.” Written by Kiron Skinner, who briefly served as head of the Policy Planning Office during Mike Pompeo’s time as Secretary, it calls for the immediate replacement of all the incumbents in jobs down to deputy assistant secretary level and any other “leadership” positions the moment the new president is sworn in on Jan. 20. Anyone slated for a position requiring Senate confirmation would be put in place in an acting capacity on that day without waiting for congressional action or, presumably, a security clearance. The chapter mentions a desire to “maximize the value of career officials” but makes clear none of them will be allowed to fill a position above the level of office director. The chapter also points out that there are no predetermined percentages for the number of ambassadors who are political appointees, Foreign Service officers, and civil servants. Indeed, the Constitution does not specify any percentages, which is why under Trump, the percentage of non-career ambassadors reached 46 percent—the highest percentage since at least the Truman administration. The percentage could certainly be higher if the next president chooses to ignore qualifications, norms, and the Foreign Service Act of 1980, and if the Senate consents to that. Further, the State chapter asserts that the president should be able to withhold foreign aid and suspend visas for all citizens of any country for any reason. And it argues that the U.S. should never act in accordance with any treaty the U.S. Senate has not ratified. Since the Law of the Sea Treaty is one of those unratified treaties that is nonetheless used as a guide, how territorial disputes in, say, the South China Sea will be settled is left unclear. This seems to me to be a recipe for groupthink and a return to the 19th- century spoils system. And it will be easy for the next conservative president to put in place, thanks to Heritage. Dennis Jett Ambassador, retired Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania FSI’s People Principles At the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), we value The Foreign Service Journal’s coverage of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) and recognize the significance of these principles for the Foreign Service in this era of rapid change. Fostering a culture centered on DEIA is more crucial than ever to our mission and workplace. At FSI, we have taken an innovative approach to codifying and embody- ing DEIA in our classrooms and in our offices. Over the last two years, FSI conducted several comprehensive studies and enterprise-level assessments of our work environment and training programs. The studies identified strengths in our current DEIA practices while pinpointing areas for improvement. One significant finding indicated that while employees understood DEIA concepts, they faced challenges in applying them practically in their daily roles. This prompted the FSI senior leadership team to look at how we could integrate DEIA principles into day-to-day work activities to make them relevant and actionable. We developed a set of guiding principles that form the foundation for how FSI will continue to grow as a community of inclusion and belonging—FSI’s People Principles. The seven People Principles aim to enhance alignment between training content and organizational DEIA goals, increase employee understanding and application of DEIA principles in daily work, and ultimately contribute to creating a more inclusive and accessible workplace environment. These principles reflect our collective commitment to action. By (1) respecting all, (2) recognizing and acknowledging who is in the room, (3) establishing the foundations for psychological safety, (4) guaranteeing accessible learning environments, (5) facilitating learning using adult and experiential learning theories, (6) recognizing bias, and (7) responding to harmful conduct, we are taking proactive steps to hold ourselves accountable while creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all employees. The People Principles recognize that FSI’s DEIA vision requires more than just rhetoric; it demands tangible efforts to embed equity, inclusion, and accessibility into the DNA of our daily operations. As we navigate the complexities of today’s intercultural work environment at FSI, with our workforce drawn from a wide variety of countries and cultures, the People Principles stand as guideposts, shaping positive behavior and interactions within our organization. These principles apply to all FSI personnel and students regardless of
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