Thesis Statement
The State Department is concerned about the declining number of qualified candidates willing to accept diplomatic posts abroad. According to GAO (2012b), the State “faces persistent experience gaps in overseas Foreign Service positions, particularly at the midlevels, and these gaps have not diminished since 2008”. In 2008, there were 1,169 vacant foreign service positions. Since then, the number of vacancies gradually increased and in 2011, there were 1,296 vacant Foreign Service positions. USAID also reported the significant decline in the number of Foreign Service officers assigned abroad. In 1992, USAID hired 3,163 Foreign Service officers but ...
