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May 1 2026

May 2026

Commentary
Lessons Learned from Middle East Diplomacy by Daniel C. Kurtzer
The Regime Change America Got Right by Christopher Datta
Planlosigkeit in the Persian Gulf by Luke Zahner
Redesigning US Assistance to Africa in the Post-USAID Era by Mark G. Wentling
Eisenhower’s Public Affairs Legacy by Rick Ruth
Diplomatic Clarity and the Western Sahara File: Lessons from US Envoys by Mohamed Elbaikam

Eyewitness
The Cardinal’s Bath by Donald Kursch
Linguistic Competence and Diplomacy: Was Bulgaria Really the Sixteenth Soviet Republic? by Jonathan Rickert
The Diplomat as Reality TV: How Accurate Is It? by Melissa Clegg-Tripp

February 2026

February 2026

The Editor’s Page Commentary The Invasion of Venezuela:  A Serious Mistake and a Rupture of Traditional US Policies by Thomas E. McNamara Performative Realism: The Dangerous Turn in US Foreign and Defense Policy by Matthew Frederick Public Diplomacy in Single-Party … Read more

The Editors Page

August 2025

The Trump administration’s assault on our nation’s professional diplomatic service continues.  As of mid-July, of 195 ambassadorial positions in the State Department, 107 are currently vacant.  The administration has still not nominated ambassadors to India, Indonesia, or Brazil—three of the five most populous countries in the world–to Germany, Russia, or Ukraine. 

Ambassador William C. Harrop, 1929 – 2025

August 2025

Ambassador Harrop’s memorial and a reception to follow will be held at Fox Hill Residences, 8300 Burdette Road, Bethesda, MD 20817 on Saturday, June 28, from 3:00–5:00 PM. There will be valet parking, as parking at Fox Hill is limited, … Read more

The Editor’s Page

August 2023

Raymond F. Smith The Commentary section of this issue offers perspectives on the practice of diplomacy that range from the historical through the contemporary to considerations of future challenges. Thomas E. McNamara offers a perspective on the Monroe Doctrine that … Read more

American Diplomacy has a new home

October 2018

American Diplomacy is moving to a new URL. We regret that some links and images from the archives may not be available during the transition.

Jazz Ambassadors

April 2018

The United Nations designates April 30 as International Jazz Day in order to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe. The U.S. has used jazz in diplomacy since the 1950s, when the U.S. Information Agency created the Jazz Ambassadors program to send leading American Jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, and Duke Ellington to perform overseas. An exhibit commemorating this program, created by Meridian International Center, is now on view at the U.S. Diplomacy Center in Washington, DC.

Summer 2018 issue

April 2018

The United Nations designates April 30 as International Jazz Day in order to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe. The U.S. has used jazz in diplomacy since the 1950s, when the … Read more

President’s Note

December 2017

  Diplomacy has been under heavy fire this year. The U.S. president’s policies, appealing to a strongly conservative and nationalist base, have unsettled allies and confused (and perhaps encouraged) adverseries. Our own magazine began its third decade this year facing … Read more

The General & the Ambassador A Conversation

December 2017

    Our aim is to have Americans see how important it is that the United States be present on the global stage.  We hope the series encourages people to join public service to represent our great nation abroad in … Read more

Krasno Events Series & YouTube Channel

December 2017

Richard M. Krasno Distinguished Professorship at UNC-Chapel Hill Prof. Klaus W Larres KRASNO EVENTS SERIES November 8, 2017 Dear Friends and Colleagues, It is a great pleasure sending you the video links to our recent events. Further below, please find links to … Read more