American Ambassadors: A Guide for Aspiring Diplomats and Foreign Service Officers

ISBN-13: 9783030837686 / Angielski / Miękka / 2021 / 484 str.

Dennis C. Jett

Spis treści

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TITLE

WHO GETS TO BE AN AMBASSADOR: THE TRADITIONAL ROUTE

WHO GETS TO BE AN AMBASSADOR: THE NONTRADITIONAL ROUTE

THE LAST STEPS: CLEARANCE AND CONFIRMATION

WHAT AN AMBASSADOR DOES

WHERE AN AMBASSADOR GOES

WHY IT MATTERS AND HOW IT MIGHT BE CHANGED

O autorze

Dennis C. Jett is Professor of International Affairs at Penn State University, USA. As a career diplomat, he served as Ambassador to Peru and Mozambique and in four other countries. He has a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa.

Blurb

If you ever wondered who becomes an American ambassador and why, this is the book for you. It describes how Foreign Service officers become ambassadors by rising up through the ranks, and why they typically make up about 70 percent of the total number of ambassadors. It also covers where the other 30 percent come from—the political appointees who get the job because they helped elect the president by supporting him as a campaign contributor, a political ally, or a personal friend. It explains why, despite being illegal and a threat to national security, selling the title of ambassador remains a common practice that is also unique to the United States. It considers why some suggestions for reform are misguided, what might be done, and why who the president is matters so much in determining how well the United States will be represented abroad.

This updated and revised edition of Jett's classic book not only provides a timely overview of American ambassadorship for Foreign Service Officers, aspiring diplomats, and interested citizens, but also calls for much-needed reform, describing the dire implications of failing to change our ambassadorial appointments process for the future of American diplomatic practice and foreign policy.

Dennis C. Jett is Professor of International Affairs at Penn State University, USA. As a career diplomat, he served as Ambassador to Peru and Mozambique and in four other countries. He has a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa.