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  • Term

    Plenipotentiary

    A diplomat possessing full powers (i.e. to sign a treaty)

  • Term

    Political Appointee

    A person who is not a career foreign service officer and is instead appointed by the president

  • Practices

    Poverty

    The Department of State recognizes the importance of providing impoverished communities with tools to move from poverty to productivity. U.S. ambassadors and their embassies throughout Africa are…

  • Term

    Presented Credentials

    The date that the ambassador presents their letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority in the receiving nation officially making them the representative of their country.

  • Practices

    Promoting Trade

    The Department of State’s Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs is devoted to providing technical expertise in regional and bilateral trade negotiations including labor, environment, services,…

  • Term

    Protectorate

    A Protectorate, or protected state when referring to a territory subject to this arrangement, is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity. The protectorate retains formal sovereignty and remains a state under international law, but in exchange for this, they usually accept specified obligations that vary depending on the nature of their relationship.

  • Term

    Protocol

    Refers to the ceremonial side of diplomacy, including matters of diplomatic courtesy and precedence.

  • Term

    Public Diplomacy

    Diplomatic outreach and engagement intended to affect public opinion in a foreign country to further U.S. foreign policy objectives

  • People

    Ralph Bunche

    Ralph Bunche graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles summa cum laude, with a major in international relations, and earned his doctorate from Harvard University in 1934. Beginning in the 1940s, Ralph Bunche embarked on a career that made him one of the most prominent diplomats in U.S. history. He…

  • Term

    Rapprochement

    When states put aside previous difficulties and establish or pursue the resumption of cordial relations