Changes are coming to the U.S. Foreign Service program, as the State Department announced on Wednesday that it was making significant changes in an effort to modernize. The modifications being implemented by the Trump administration are intended to ensure that foreign service officers will be fully capable of “meeting the challenges of the 21st century.”
“The State Department has made a series of reforms designed to modernize all aspects of foreign service recruitment and training and ensure that our diplomatic corps is ready to deliver results for the American people around the world,” read a release issued on Wednesday.
Among the major changes implemented by the State Department is a revamping of the Foreign Service Officer Test. Gone are the days of adherence to diversity, equity, and inclusion agendas, the press release noted. In its place, applicants to the program will be tested on logical reasoning, an important skill for foreign service officers. It also includes an examination of knowledge on American history as well as “U.S. foreign policy concepts, diplomatic history, and negotiation skills.”
Additionally, the State Department once again made a written examination as part of the assessment process. It has replaced the “Qualification Evaluation Panel” with the justification that applicants should be evaluated on their ability to “think critically and write clear prose,” given that these are “essential skills for Foreign Service Officers.”
Changes were also made to the Foreign Service onboarding program and will now feature lectures on “diplomatic history and American First foreign policy.” It is a noticeable shift from the requirements of previous presidential administrations and a pragmatic return to policies and actions that prioritize the interests and legacy of the United States.
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Lessons for foreign service officer applicants will include a renewed focus on “international relations, including on economic strategy, commercial diplomacy, and grand strategy, as well as training on public speaking, negotiation, and leadership,” noted the release. The curriculum will shift away from the previous “bureaucratic tedium” and replace lessons and exercises that focus on teaching “communication skills and ‘team resilience.’”
“The onboarding program now features required and recommended readings on American history and international relations, including speeches and writings from George Washington, John Quincy Adams, and James Monroe, selections from the Federalist Papers, and works from George Kennan, Angelo Codevilla, and Samuel Huntington,” read the release.
