Diplomacy is an art of attaining foreign policy goals in a calm way with negotiation and avoiding war. Solving matters peacefully is more effective and cheaper as compared to conflicts. It also saves both money and life. There are many stories in the past that clearly express the good results of diplomacy. Many weak nations protect their interests due to good diplomacy strategies. At the same time, strong nations have struggled due to poor diplomacy strategies. Furthermore, the United States has good diplomatic strategies. 

Benjamin Franklin secured French support in the American Revolution, Secretary Seward prevented European support for the Confederacy in the Civil War, and Secretary Baker built a coalition to free Kuwait in 1990. But from a few recent years the Americans focussed more on military actions rather than diplomacy.

This approach of the United States failed them to achieve success in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. If the United States wants to remain on top then it is important  to focus more on diplomacy. It is also important for this nation to improve its talking skills and find effective and budget-friendly solutions. 

For many years, the State Department’s Foreign Service officers have been struggling. But this department is also important for United State diplomacy. 

The Hart-Rudman Commission called it a “crippled institution” 25 years ago, and not much has changed since. 

Without reform, it is impossible for the leaders to protect the American interest and avoid war. 

Bureaucracies, including the State Department, naturally expand and consume more resources. What started as a small, skilled team of diplomats has grown into a massive, inefficient bureaucracy focused on internal paperwork rather than action. 

Now, there are more bureaucrats in Washington than diplomats overseas, and the department is in desperate need of restructuring. Over the last 30 years, many new offices have emerged to handle specific issues like climate change and human rights, leading to even more paperwork and inefficiency.

It is important to focus on problems. But nowadays, the main focus of the bureaucratic agencies is their own issues. They ignored the president’s foreign policy. In order to make the Foreign Services work better, it is important to cut down on some of these complicated bureaus and let regional bureaus handle their tasks instead.

Management of the large programs is not the duty of Foreign Services. Their main job is to advise and follow the rules made by policymakers. For this purpose, any nation requires skilled and professional persons. Those who understand the languages and interests of other nations. But unfortunately, this type of experienced professional is very rare. 

Currently, the system creates officers who move around too much and don’t get deep knowledge of any one region. For example, one officer worked in many countries before managing Andean Affairs. Policymakers need advice from experts with specific regional knowledge. To stay relevant, the Foreign Service needs to focus on developing true experts.

In order to work better in today’s modern age, it is important for Foreign Services to improve its approach and strategies. This is the only way to survive in the current global situation. The days of easy American dominance are gone, and we now live in a world where many powerful nations balance each other. No matter who is the next president of the United States. America should focus more on its core interest rather than wasting time in unnecessary wars and interventions. 

Currently, many in the Foreign Service are still focused on spreading American values and ideas to places that are not receptive, often using strategies that assume our good intentions and unlimited resources will lead to success. Instead, the Foreign Service should adopt a more realistic approach, prioritizing national security and sovereignty over trying to impose our ideals. This shift doesn’t mean abandoning American values but rather returning to a more practical and historically guided approach that emphasizes our core interests and responsibilities.

The first part of the government set up was the Department of State. Thomas Jefferson was the person who owned it. For many years, this department was very crucial to solve the American foreign policy problems. But now things do not remain the same. Its role is not as strong as in the past. 

Even though Foreign Service workers still work hard for American interests, their influence and respect in Washington have decreased. To fix this and make our diplomatic efforts stronger, we need a Secretary of State who really understands these issues and is ready to make changes to improve the Foreign Service’s setup, staff, and overall approach.