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July 2, 2020
Diversity in the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service:
Background and Issues for Congress
Members of Congress, U.S. Department of State (DOS)
such examination has an adverse impact on employment
officials, and other stakeholders have maintained a
opportunities for members of any race, sex, or ethnic group.
longstanding interest in ensuring that the U.S. Department
Section 602 requires the Secretary of State to assure that “a
of State Foreign Service workforce (hereafter, the Foreign
substantial number of women and members of minority
Service) is representative of the American people, as called
groups” are appointed to the selection boards responsible
for in the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-465,
for personnel actions including recommending officers for
hereafter, the Foreign Service Act).
promotion.
Beyond adherence to statutory requirements, some DOS
Congress conducted oversight of these matters in the years
officials and other observers have asserted that a diverse
following enactment of the Foreign Service Act. It included
Foreign Service workforce adds more perspectives to the
a finding in the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for
development of U.S. foreign policy and contributes to better
FY1988 and FY1989 (P.L. 100-204) stating that DOS had
policymaking. While many observers note that the State
not been successful in diversifying the Foreign Service and
Department has made substantial gains in bringing about a
requiring it to “substantially increase” its efforts. In 1990,
more diverse Foreign Service workforce, high-ranking DOS
Congress amended the State Department Basic Authorities
officials have said that more work is needed to build on
Act of 1956 (P.L. 84-885) to authorize the Secretary of
existing progress, including with respect to fostering greater
State to make grants to postsecondary educational
diversity in senior positions.
institutions or students to increase knowledge of and
interest in employment with the Foreign Service, with a
Background
special focus on minority students. Pursuant to these
The Foreign Service has faced criticism for not being
authorities, DOS launched the Thomas R. Pickering
representative of the American people and has often been
Foreign Affairs Fellowship and the Charles B. Rangel
characterized as a bastion of white males with Ivy League
International Affairs Program in 1992 and 2002,
educations. According to testimony DOS submitted to
respectively. These fellowships encourage applications
Congress during consideration of the Foreign Service Act,
from women and members of minority groups and provide
it began addressing this issue in the 1960s. For example, an
financial support for graduate study, internships, and
affirmative action program was first established in 1967 and
professional development activities leading to Foreign
a prohibition on married women serving in the Foreign
Service appointments. According to DOS, these two
Service was lifted in 1971. At hearings held during this
programs “[increased] the representation of diverse groups
period, some witnesses and Members of Congress attributed
in the Foreign Service by nearly 21 percent … between
the underrepresentation of women and minorities in the
1993 and 2013.” Figure 1 illustrates progress DOS has
Foreign Service to causes including a lack of recruiting
made increasing Foreign Service diversity from 1988 to
efforts specifically targeting underrepresented groups;
2018.
concerns that the selection process disproportionately
screened out minority candidates; and limited
Figure 1. Foreign Service Personnel Diversity
representation of women and minorities on the selection
boards tasked with evaluating performance and
recommending officers for promotion.
The Foreign Service Act sought to address such concerns
through several provisions. For example, Section 105
requires the Secretary of State to ensure that members of
and applicants to the Foreign Service are free from
discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, age, handicapping condition, marital status,
geographic or educational affiliation within the United
States, or political affiliation. This section also requires that
all personnel actions for career members and career
candidates shall be made in accordance with merit
principles. Section 211 establishes a Board of Examiners
Source: CRS. Data from DOS and the U.S. Government
for the Foreign Service tasked with developing
Accountability Office (GAO).
examinations given to those applying for appointment in the
Foreign Service and periodically reviewing whether any
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Diversity in the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service: Background and Issues for Congress
Note: FY2018 “Other” includes Native Hawai an/Other Pacific
women and minorities and strengthening mentorship
Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Two or More Races.
programs for female and minority officers.
FY1988 “Other” includes American Indian/Alaska Native.
Figure 2. Senior Foreign Service Personnel Diversity
Trump Administration Policy and Recent
Developments
Congress continues to carry out oversight of DOS’s efforts
to recruit, train, retain, and promote qualified diverse
personnel in the Foreign Service. In 2016, Congress passed
the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017
(P.L. 114-323), which required the Secretary of State to
submit quadrennial reports to Congress detailing efforts to
promote equal opportunity and inclusion in the Foreign
Service. DOS submitted the first report to Congress in June
2017. DOS acknowledged in this report that while women
and minorities currently make up a much more significant
share of the Foreign Service than they have in years past,
representation lags in the Senior Foreign Service (the corps
of senior leaders and experts from which the President often
Source: CRS. Data from DOS and GAO.
appoints ambassadors and other senior officials). DOS has
Note: FY2018 “Other” includes Native Hawai an/Other Pacific
also established an agency-wide task force to provide input
Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Two or More Races.
regarding recruiting and retaining diverse personnel as part
FY1988 “Other” includes American Indian/Alaska Native.
of its Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan for 2020-2024.
These plans specify DOS’s efforts to recruit, train, promote,
Issues for the 116th Congress
and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce. In addition,
On June 17, 2020, the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s
DOS has launched a pilot program intended to make merit-
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a
based pay increases more gender-neutral by anonymizing
hearing titled “Diversity and Diplomacy: Why an Inclusive
nominations for such increases submitted to selection
State Department Would Strengthen U.S. Foreign Policy.”
boards.
At the hearing, some Members of Congress agreed that
DOS continues to face difficulties retaining minority FSOs
Senior officials have emphasized that Foreign Service
to enable their promotion to senior positions. To help
diversity is an ongoing DOS priority. Ambassador Carol
address this and related challenges, former senior DOS
Perez, the Director-General of the Foreign Service, has
officials serving as witnesses recommended ensuring that
expressed concern with what she characterizes as the
promotion criteria include an assessment of a candidate’s
limited progress DOS has made in fostering diversity at
record in supporting diversity and inclusion efforts.
more senior levels of the Foreign Service and stated that it
Witnesses also indicated their support for more robust exit
must do more to support professional development and
surveys to enable DOS to identify systemic issues causing
career advancement opportunities for Foreign Service
minority officers to leave the Foreign Service.
personnel who are members of underrepresented groups
(see Figure 2). Concern with this issue has long persisted;
Several provisions of the Department of State Authorization
two separate reports that the Government Accountability
Act of 2019 (H.R. 3352) are intended to strengthen
Office (GAO) issued in 1989 and 2020 found that while the
oversight of DOS efforts to recruit and retain a diverse
Foreign Service had improved diversity at the entry-level,
Foreign Service workforce. For example, Section 402
underrepresentation of minority groups was pervasive in the
would require DOS to provide Congress additional data
senior levels. Both reports also found that DOS needed to
regarding the diversity of its workforce and assess its
do more to identify potential barriers within its personnel
efforts to refrain from unlawful discrimination throughout
practices to the hiring and advancement of minorities and
the employment process, including hiring and promotion.
women in the Foreign Service. In the 2020 report, GAO
Section 403 of the bill would require DOS to provide
recommended that DOS identify such barriers through
optional exit interviews to all individuals leaving DOS and
means including analyzing workforce data and feedback
use information collected in these interviews when
from employee groups, such as the Asian American Foreign
considering whether to implement policy changes. Section
Affairs Association and Executive Women at State.
404 would make anti-harassment and anti-discrimination
training mandatory for individuals in senior and supervisory
Concern about DOS diversity has been heightened amid
positions. Finally, Section 405 would require the Secretary
protests of racial injustice that erupted in the United States
of State to implement advancement requirements that
and around the world following the death of George Floyd
reward officials who foster an inclusive environment. This
in the custody of the Minneapolis police. For example, the
bill passed the House of Representatives on July 25, 2019,
American Academy of Diplomacy (AAD) issued a
and is pending before the Senate Committee on Foreign
statement asserting that a diverse DOS workforce signals to
Relations.
the rest of the world that the United States draws on the
strength of all of its citizens. The statement also included
Cory R. Gill, Analyst in Foreign Affairs
policy recommendations to increase Foreign Service
workforce diversity, such as increasing recruitment of
IF11591
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Diversity in the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service: Background and Issues for Congress
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