The Craft of Political Analysis for Diplomats

Some of the finest political analysis done in the world today never reaches the public eye because it is included in classified reporting cables that U.S. embassies send to Washington. Further, until now, the existing literature on diplomacy has been limited to memoirs of former diplomats and analyses of international affairs by diplomats, academics, and think tanks. The Craft of Political Analysis for Diplomatsoffers a fresh approach. Author Raymond F. Smith combines a practitioner's personal view of what is required to do good diplomatic political analysis with his understanding of the social conflict and change that informed his work for the State Department. Smith clearly explains everything the Foreign Service candidate or professional needs to know about crafting political analysis, including how to write for the analyst's intended audience, how to make best use of the intellectual and analytical tools of the trade, what happens when the analyst's views differ from government policy, and why political analysis risks becoming irrelevant, even though it is still urgently needed. In addition, The Craft of Political Analysis for Diplomatsfeatures a case study of four formerly classified and highly restricted Embassy Moscow cables on the collapse of the Soviet Union, as well as a case study built around two formerly classified cables that received the State Department's highest award for political analysis.