The Ambassador May Wear Prada

By Jay Newton-SmallMay 07, 2013

President Barack Obama will soon appoint a new round of ambassadors. Only 13 of 188 embassies are currently vacant, though perhaps as many as 100 others may open up as first termers rotate out. Some 30% are likely to be political, or patronage, appointments leaving the vast majority to the Foreign Service. That’s the same ratio that has been observed since George H. W. Bush’s tenure, but there are forces at work to cut back on the patronage quota.

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